Title: The legend of a Warlock who Served the Once and Future King

Author: Lamiabellascrittore

Rating: T+

Warnings: Mild language. Violence. Some adult situations- Deal with it. There is more to come. Happy soon to be Halloween .

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, or any of the characters. If I did there would be a season six, seven, eight, and so on, and a movie, of course.

Spoilers: Possibly.

Summary: Merlin and Arthur go on a mission that was supposed to be strictly reconnaissance. However, nothing ever goes as planned, and they get separated. Merlin is kidnapped by Morgana and Arthur must find a way to rescue his ever loyal servant. But, will Arthur still save Merlin after he learns Merlin has magic? This story is building up to the battle of Camlann. The sequel to this one.

A/N: Okay, so this is my first Published Fan Fiction. Please read and review.

If you liked it I will continue. Please be kind. ;) The more you review the more likely it is that I will continue this story and more. Sorry for any errors, it becomes difficult after editing it so many times. It becomes a lot like a word repeated over and over again until it no longer makes any sense.

I hope you enjoy...

~He was her dark fairytale and she his twisted fantasy,

and together they would burn the world to the ground.

Chapter 14:

The Devil in the Details

The party started of like any other gathering Uther or Arthur had thrown. That was until Morgana's guests started to arrive. All were well dressed with lavish jewelry and fine linen like any other noble, but they dominated the room with their presence alone. None had magic as far as Merlin could tell, but the amount of confidence and ego in the room suggested that these were Kings and Queen, Lords and Ladies.

The nights festivities were a two-day event. It would end three days before the culling to ensure the contestants were adequately rested. He feared to contemplate what Morgana had in mind for all the young Sorcerers here. What was she going to do? She already had most of them on display for others to gawk and fondle when the want arose.

A few hours into the party and Morgana had yet to make an appearance. Merlin surveyed the room anxiously waiting for Cedric. He wanted to fulfill his end of the bargain as quickly as he could. Merlin bit his cheek, drawing blood. He didn't even know if Cedric really did deliver the letter. There was a lot of blind faith on Merlin's part.

Cedric caught his eye. Merlin raised his brows inquiringly. Cedric nodded once and casually walked from the room, giving some excuse to leave. Merlin went unnoticed as he blended into the shadows as he fled the party.

Merlin entered what looked like a deserted hall. It was too dark to really see how far it went. He looked around him not sure where he was supposed to meet Cedric, but he didn't have to search far because he leaned against the door frame to the servants halls, waiting for him.

Cedric straightened as soon as he saw Merlin. "Put this on." He said, shoving a dark navy cloak into his arms.

Merlin easily swung the cloak over his shoulders and clasped it at his neck. He pulled the hood up so it covered his face. "And the weapon?"

"I was able to find this." He pulled out a dagger just a little longer than the one Arthur had given Morgana as a gift. Only the hilt of this blade was plain except for a single black onyx stone embedded into the metal. "I had to find something that she wouldn't recognize as her own just in case. But I don't know if we'll be lucky enough for this to go over her head."

Merlin nodded. He took the dagger and held the blade flush against his forearm. It didn't matter. A deep sick part of Merlin wanted Morgana to know he was the one who killed her best men in her war against Arthur. "Where are they?"

"They left the Medical wing of their own volition, still badly injured, but well enough, and are now in their bunk."

"They share a room?" Merlin asked.

"They are inseparable. You rarely see one with out the other." Cedric said. Merlin felt a pang. Like he and Arthur, he assumed, they needed to be near each other.

"Just through this hall there is a corridor that goes to the guards wing. Their room is the fifth on the right."

Merlin pressed his lips together and nodded once. He opened the door and walked through. He was careful not to let the door shut loudly as he crept forward. He moved quickly but cautiously down the poorly lit hall with only a lone torch for light.

Merlin's heart beat so fast and loud he could hear the rush of blood in his ears. He was conflicted. Half of him wanted to do this. Finish the job he started on the field and end their miserable existence. But the other half, however, the half that still had hope, still had faith in Arthur and the land he hoped to build, was screaming at him not to do this. And all that he could think was that he had to do what was necessary. Only, he has never killed a man unarmed, alone in his bed. And an injured one at that.

Was this necessary? Merlin faltered. Did he have to do this? Merlin stopped in front of Jerrod and Fredrick's room. Yes, he did. He had made a bargain and a bargain must be kept. If he did this, there would be no going back.

He shuttered. Unfortunately, that wasn't true. The day he chose to poison the woman he loved to save a kingdom and it's King was the day that ultimately changed him. All that this will do is seal his fate. He will become the monster he was tying to rid the world of, but then again it takes a monster to destroy a monster. He just couldn't lose sight of the reason he was fighting in the first place.

How did you beat a monster without becoming one? You couldn't. He knew this and feared it, but at the same time he embraced it like an old lover. It was what was going to keep him alive through this venture. He would have to play the fire to Morgana's brimstone, and pretend to help her burn the world down.

Merlin squared his shoulders and slipped inside Jerrod and Fredrick's room. It was large room with two small beds side by side next to a low burning hearth. The muted glow supplied just enough light for him to see the two sleeping figures. He glanced around taking in the simply furnished room, and noticed something off near the fireplace. What was that? He wondered. It looked like two bodies slumped on the ground as far from the door and the fire as they could be.

Silently, so as not to disturb the sleeping men in their beds, Merlin crept forward to examine what was slumped on the floor. As he got closer his suspicions were confirmed. He was oddly calm as he stared at the forms on the ground. He thought he knew what he would find, but that didn't prepare him for what he saw.

Both boys, no older than seventeen, lay crumpled on the floor, broken and bleeding. James was sitting up against the wall, Darrin laying down, head resting on his brothers lap. James was shivering, covered in bruises and blood. Darrin was pale, cold, and his lips were tinted blue, red covered the chest of his simple brown tunic. Merlin immediately noticed his too still chest. Darrin was nearly gone, if not already dead.

Merlin grit his teeth against another wave of barely controlled rage. He looked back briefly at the sleeping figures. He could just kill them now in their sleep. He immediately dismissed it, not because he couldn't do it but because it was too easy, to good for them.

The door creaked open and jarred James from his daze. His grip on his brother tightened in fear. Were they awake? Were they coming back for more? James started to shake. The horror and terror of their predicament stole through him anew. He didn't know if they could survive another minute with the brother. They were pure evil and their perversions knew no bounds.

James squinted into the darkness and caught the flash of steel and a flap of fabric. He tensed as a figure came into the dull firelight. His Stygian Sapphire eyes shined back at him from under a dark hood. Relief like he couldn't believe rushed through his veins like winters water. Merlin! James opened his mouth and tried to speak.

"Mer-" A broken voice spoke from the darkness. "Merlin." He choked again, getting the syllables out.

Merlin's head snapped around to the voice. James looked up at him a bit dazed. Merlin knelt down. He reached a hand out but hesitated. He didn't know where to touch him, every inch of James was covered in blood, his clothes torn and slashed and he couldn't determine if he had any wounds, but that didn't mean there weren't any.

"James?" Merlin breathed. "Oh God, what did they do to you?" Merlin wondered softly. He knelt on one knee and leaned towards him.

"S'ok." James gave a small tiered and bloody smile. "N' so bad."

"Can you get up?" Merlin asked urgently.

James frowned at him and nodded. "But I d'nt want to leave 'em."

"You don't have to. Take your brother with you. Down at the end of the hall a man names Cedric waits, you'll know him when you see him. Ask him to take you to the healing waters."

"What bout' you." James asked blearily.

"I'll meet-."

"What do we have here?" A deep voice interrupted menacingly.

Merlin tensed. He looked over his shoulder. Jerrod and Fredrick got up from their beds and grabbed their swords from their scabbards hanging from the small bed posts. He turned back to James.

"Get up. Now." Merlin murmured. "Take your brother with you. Cedric is at the end of the hall, you'll know him when you see him. Go to the healing water. I'll be along shortly."

Groggily James nodded and started to rise. He hefted his brother up as much as he could. Jerrod and Fredrick took a step towards the kid as if intending to stop him. Merlin blocked their path and pointed his dagger at them.

"Let them pass and you can have me." Merlin said seriously.

The brothers thought about it a moment when Fredrick nodded and stepped aside. Jerrod however glared angrily and wouldn't budge, but didn't attack either.

James made it to the door and looked back at Merlin as he fled the room with his brother. Merlin held them at bay with only a dagger and his words. He hated to leave him but James needed to find a way to save his brother. He could see Darrin life draining away. James made his way down the dim corridor with the world on his shoulders and the weight of his brother in his arms.

As soon as the door closed behind James a bolder of weight lifted from Merlin's shoulders. He turned and focused solely on Fredrick and Jerrod.

Merlin's rage was held at bay on a very thin leash. He stopped wondering where it came from because he knew and started to embrace it. Flashes of James and Darrin their bodies bloodied and eyes broken fueled the already raging inferno inside him that Morgana had birthed.

"My dagger against your sword isn't much of a fair fight." Merlin said confidently. "I'll try to be gentle." He smiled softly. Merlin flipped the dagger lightly in his right hand. The blade caught the low fire lite. The almost gold glow glinted dangerously. He had seen them fight, they were good, but they were injured. He knew he was superior in abilities with his magic, of course, to aid him, which was, unfortunately, unavailable at the moment. Still, the rage inside him was unlike anything he could comprehend and it eclipsed his sense of right and wrong, mixing together to make some kind of blend of gray. Kill to save. Save to kill. He didn't care how he did it anymore only that they died.

The brothers laughed. Merlin looked at them levelly. "I know what you did to them." Merlin stated dangerously.

"And?" Fredrick mocked. Not denying anything

"And it doesn't bother you that you nearly killed them?" Merlin remarked bitingly, jaw popping.

Jerrod shrugged. Fredrick grinned maniacally and shook his head. "No," Fredrick said carelessly. "Should it?"

"I don't know how to put this nicely so I wont." Merlin said disgustedly. He glared a them, intending a painful death. "You both are worthless pieces of meat I wouldn't feed to the pigs."

Jerrod scowled intimidatingly, obviously angered by his words. Fredrick, however, just smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. It was more a barring of teeth. "And your a worthless sorceress who will be dead by the end of the week, even if you manage to kill us." Fredrick limped towards him, his brother on his heels. "We can't kill you but we can beat you to within an inch of you life." Fredrick said.

Jerrod lunged around his brother unable to wait another moment, tired of the banter and struck out at the sorcerer.

Merlin jumped back, narrowly missing his sword slicing open his stomach. Jerrod was off balance due to Merlin's earlier sparing session with him and overcompensated. He tripped and fell to his knees, then fell back and hit the wall with a heavy thunk, knocking the wind from his lungs. He grunted miserably, more injured than his brother. Fredrick went to aid him, but Merlin used their misfortune to his advantage and pounced. He shoved Fredrick back against the wall his brother fell back against. He grabbed a fist full of his tunic in Merlin's left hand as he shoved his forearm against Fredrick's throat. He felt Jerrod start to rise next to him, trying to use the wall for support. The man gripped blindly at Merlin's hip.

"I, fortunately, unlike you, have nothing holding be back from killing you." Merlin purred. Not taking his eyes from Fredrick's black ones, Merlin took the dagger in his right hand and shoved it into Jerrod's heart. He felt Jerrod's hands tighten briefly on his loose shirt, tugging before falling away.

Fredrick protested. For the first time a spark of emotion flared behind the darkness in Fredrick's eyes before it completely died once more.

"Don't you feel anything?" Merlin asked. He removed his arm and gripped Fredrick's chin, forcing him to look at Jerrod's still form by their feet, a dagger in his chest, blood pooling around him. His mouth worked soundlessly for a few seconds, a wet gurgling sound came out that sent a shiver down Merlin's spine. He hid it, released his chin, and pressed his forearm tighter against his neck, drawing Fredrick's attention. "I just killed your brother."

Fredrick pressed his lips together and glared at Merlin. "Well? Aren't you angry?" Merlin wondered. Curious why he would protect his brother but not be angered by his death.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Fredrick asked, ignoring Merlin. Of course he was angry. He just killed the last remaining family he had left.

"Kill you?" Merlin almost laughed. "No. I have something better planned for you. You killed one of my own. All the honorable and innocent sorcerers and their kin are under my protection." Merlin fumed. "You are going to help save him." Merlin said menacingly.

"I'll do no such thing." Fredrick spat.

He slammed Fredrick's head back against the stone wall and pressed his arm harder against his throat, choking him. "You'll do as I say because you haven't a choice." Merlin growled. "You are a magic user yes?" He inquired, already knowing the answer. He just wanted to hear Fredrick say it. Fredrick nodded. "Do you follow the Old Religion?" Merlin pressed further. Fredrick paused, not sure he liked where this was going. He nodded hesitantly. "Then why do you fight against your leader?"

"My leader?" Fredrick wondered, now a little confused. His leader was Morgana. He wasn't fighting against her, he worshiped her. "Morgana?" He asked, confused.

"Not Morgana." Merlin spat. The name igniting another wave of anger and against his permission, desire. "Emrys." He hissed.

"Fredrick paled. "What of Emrys." Fredrick asked. "Where is he? Who is he?" He snapped, trying to squirm out of Merlin's hold.

"Stop it." Merlin snapped. He stopped struggling, realizing it was futile.

He looked at Merlin, his eyes widened just a little. "You know, don't you." He asked. "You know who he is!" Fredrick exclaimed, an awful masochistic light erupted in his eyes. No doubt hoping this information would give him more attention from Morgana.

"Of course I do." Merlin smiled. "You do as well, all of you do, you just don't realize it yet."

Fredrick frowned. Merlin let go of his hold on his neck and took a step back, waiting to see what he would do. Fredrick just looked at him puzzled. Like this Merlin could really see Fredrick's age he was no older than twenty, but the look of confusion made him look five years younger.

"Has Morgana told you who the Once and Future King is?" Merlin asked. Fredrick nodded mutely. Merlin nodded too, lips pursed. "And Emrys is to serve him, correct?" Again Merlin received another nod. "Who is the Once and future king."

"King Arthur." Fredrick said, confident in his information.

"And who serves King Arthur, Fredrick?" Merlin whispered dangerously soft. An unconcealed warning in his voice.

Fredrick looked everywhere but at Merlin, his mind working. Finally his dark eyes settled on Merlin's face and Fredrick paled. "You. You serve King Arthur. You're Emrys." He stated. Merlin nodded. Fredrick swallowed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you aren't going to tell anyone." Merlin threatened. "As your leader I have the right to sentence you to death." Merlin lashed out and punched him in the face. His head snapped back and slammed into the castle wall with a sicking crack.

Merlin waited a moment to be sure he was still breathing. The slow and steady rise told Merlin he would be out for a while. Good. He had time.

Merlin walked back over to Jerrod, and knelt down on one knee. He was still alive. He placed one hand on his chest and the other gripped the daggers hilt. With a hard tug he pulled it out with a wet slurping noise. A small gush of warm blood covered his hands. The blade was tinted red and dripping onto Merlin's already dirty pants.

He went to stand, but suddenly a hand gripped his leg, stopping him. He looked down. Jerrod looked up at him, a bloody smile on his battered face. He swung his sword clumsily from the floor, trying to hurt him.

Merlin kicked his wrist, knocking the blade from his hand. It clattered uselessly to the floor. Merlin knelt down and grabbed him by the front of his tunic and hefted him up to lock eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that." Merlin growled provoked.

He was angry at Jerrod. At himself. At Morgana. He was furious. Merlin didn't even think twice which, he was sure, would come back to haunt him, but he didn't care for in that moment he saw red. Merlin took his dagger and viciously sliced across Jerrod's throat.

A spray of hot blood saturated his face, neck and part of his chest. He didn't care. They were dead, and that was all that mattered. Their perverted nature was cleansed from this world.

Merlin stumbled back as Jerrod body fell lifeless to the ground. He turned and walked quickly from the room. The moment the door closed behind him he leaned against it. He slammed his head back into the door, hard. Once, twice. He squeezed his eyes shut and slid to the floor, his back supported by the door. One leg out, while the other bent at the knee and lay flat on the ground, and with his hands in his lap, palms up, shoulders slumped, he looked like a perfect portrait of defeat.

Merlin couldn't get his breathing under control. He looked down at his hands, and the dagger resting comfortably in them. Both covered in blood. He expected his hands to shake, or nausea to overwhelm him and remorse to blacken his soul even more. But none of that happened. His hands were steady. His stomach steady. And his emotions as still as the eye of the storm. The rest of him, however, was a mess of devastating chaos.

Merlin realized with a distant pang of worry that this action had just changed something fundamental in him and he had yet to find out what it was. His felt hollow as though his heart had been damned and as black as hell.

Merlin didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his hands or face and let the dagger hang from his right hand. He stalked out of the room and hurried to find Cedric. He needed to make sure James made it to him with Darrin, and that they were taking him to the healing waters. He pulled the hood up and covered his face. His footsteps were silent as he rushed down the hall. The blade glinted silver and red in the torch light as he quickly jogged down the corridor.