Hey again, new chapter! yay! I wasn't gonna update tonight cause it's kinda late but I promised JoannaSBlack so yeah, here it is! Sorry if there are spelling errors, It's 10:00 PM and I really got to get back to my dorm. Wow guys, longest chapter so far, over 2k words, YES! Enjoy!
Richard blinked up at his king in confusion. Hadn't he just been dying? Yes, he decided, he had definitely been dying. That pain couldn't have been anything less.
"Sire?" he asked, cringing slightly at how rough his voice sounded. The grin that lit the young man's face was contagious; Richard found himself giving him a weak smile in return. He tried to sit up, but Merlin quickly pushed him down again.
"Don't get up," the young king commanded, "you're still healing." indeed he was, The pain still lingered slightly and it hurt to breathe, telling him he most likely had a cracked rib.
"What happened?" he asked, his head pounding. Then, remembering the battle, he sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that shot through him, yep definitely a cracked rib or two. "Are you alright sire? Are you injured?" he asked, running a critical eye over his sovereign. Merlin rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'm fine Richard," he answered, ignoring the title, Richard always was one for propriety and now that the rest of the group was aware of Merlin's status he knew Richard would call him by his title whether he liked it or not. "how are you feeling?" he asked, his brow furrowing in worry.
"I'm fine, what of the others?" he asked, trying to look beyond the young king.
"They are fine as well," Richard breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the others were indeed unharmed. They were all looking at the sky with expressions varying from ones of awe and wonder to fear and anger.
"Sire?" he asked his voice full of confusion, "what exactly happened?" the young warlock's grin fell from his face and his expression darkened slightly.
"I'll tell you while I'm binding that rib," he negotiated, motioning to the older knight's side, Richard sighed but nodded reluctantly. Merlin smiled in the satisfaction that he won, Richard just rolled his eyes. "but first I have to help the others set up camp." Richard nodded again and watched as his king walked over to the others, looking apprehensive. Looking at the small group, Richard quickly realized why, Sir Leon's expression was one of anger and his sword was drawn, the look was directed at Richard's king, sending a wave of panic through the knight. Ignoring the pain once again, Richard swiftly stood and drew sword.
"Sire!" he called, slightly panicked, he was relieved when he saw that the other Knights of Aria had noticed the situation as well and quickly positioned themselves between the head Knight of Camelot and their king, swords drawn. The young king looked back at him in surprise.
"Sit down Richard, all is well." he said calmly, Richard was about to say that, no, everything was not well when he saw the command in his King's eyes to back down. He reluctently did so but kept his sword drawn.
MERLIN POV
Merlin sighed, this wasn't going to be easy, he had feared Leon's reaction when he saw Kilgharrah but with Richard so close to death... He hadn't had a choice, and if he had to he would do it again. As he drew closer to Leon he rolled his eyes at his knights standing between him and Leon.
"Stand down." he ordered and when they didn't immediately obey he said calmly "I can handle this now stand. down." He said the last two words in a voice that left no room for argument. His knights reluctantly obeyed but kept their swords out. "Leon," he began holding his hands out in a placating gesture but was cut off by the said knight.
"What the Hell was that?!" The blond knight raged, he didn't give the warlock a chance to answer "You said he was dead, that beast killed people, citizens of Camelot, Knights!" Leon's eyes widened in surprise as he realized something "You let it lose didn't you?" he whispered softly, Merlin's expression was answer enough "YOU LET IT LOOSE." he raged "IT KILLED PEOPLE, CITIZENS, INNOCENT PEOPLE AND YOU LET IT LOOSE." he roared, waving his sword in the direction the the great dragon had disappeared.
"I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!" Merlin raged back, surprising everyone.
"Yes you did, and you decided to let that monster loose." Leon said, anger fueling him.
"NO, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE, I HAD TO FREE HIM!" Merlin's voice quieted slightly but he was still loud and his voice was still filled with anger. "I didn't have a choice because he made me swear to release him in return for his help, and if I hadn't done so Nimueh and the Knights of Medhir would have succeeded ! So yes, I freed him, because that was the price of saving everyone else. He made me swear on my mother's life and I had no choice." everyone was staring at him in astonishment now. "and if you think I don't know that those deaths are on MY head, if you think that I haven't blamed myself for each and every life that was taken then you are WRONG!" his voice broke slightly and a few tears rolled down his cheeks, he continued, his voice softer now "I think about them everyday, I will never forget them and I will never forgive myself for letting Kilgharrah free but I had no choice. So hate me all you want but I did what I did for a reason as for him attacking?" Merlin laughed bitterly at this "his kind was butchered around him, and he was the last one! Uther imprisoned him for 20 years, so yes, he took revenge, I can't say I blame him to be honest, after all," he said bitterly "I know how it feels to be the last of my kind. So hate me if you want Leon, but don't you dare tell me I had a choice." He finished, anger filling him. He breathed heavily for several minutes before finally shoving his way past the stunned Leon to get to his saddle bag and grabbing the bandages for Richard.
"We're camping here for tonight." he said to no one in particular, leaving no room for argument, not that anyone was able to reply, they were all still too stunned to move. He walked over to the wounded knight who quietly sat down and took off his chainmail and armor before taking his tunic off as well. Merlin frowned at the scars litering the knights body but began binding his ribs. The others finally seemed to recover and silently went about setting up the camp for the night. As Merlin bound Richard's ribs he told the older knight all that had happened. When he was finished Sir Richard looked at him in shock.
"Sire that is amazing power." he said, awed. Merlin blushed and waved him off.
"it was nothing." he muttered, this seemed to be the wrong to say as Gwaine came up behind him.
"You call that nothing?!" Gwaine asked, shocked. The rouge knight laughed "Well mate, I'm not sure I want to see what you call something." he said, clapping a hand on his friends back. Merlin glared playfully at him and Richard spoke.
"Are you sure it was a wise idea to let the men go sire?" he asked, and the young king turned to him, his face serious again and nodded.
"Yes, my uncle would have found out soon anyway and I believe sending a warning was the right thing to do, besides," he said, finishing binding the knight's ribs and standing "if I know my uncle those men won't be alive much longer."
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV-line break passing through-VVVVVVVVVVVVVV-hey! What was that for?!-VVVVVVVVVVVVV- I'm almost through geesh-VVVVVVVVVVVVV
The man's voice shook as he reported to the king.
"Y-your Majesty." he said, kneeling before him, along with his five companions. "W-we fought are hardest b-but they overtook us a-and-" then man was cut off by the cruel voice of the false king.
"Where is my nephew?" he asked in voice that promised pain if they answered wrong. One of the men whimpered slightly.
"W-well that's the th-thing your Majesty," The leader of the group stuttered. "H-he defeated us and the killed the others and- and-" he looked up at the man and shuddered at the look in his eye "H-he gave us a message to deliver t-to you your Majesty." The false king waved his hand, motioning for him to continue. "H-he said," the man swallowed thickly. "he said that if you wish to live y-you will leave this kingdom a-and never return. A-and th-that the s-same goes f-for us, th-that he was of-offering us m-mercy a-and t-that if we saw h-him again he wouldn't sp-spare us again." He finished, shaking harder than before. He dared a glance at his king and immediately regretted it, the look on his liege's face was one of pure anger, hatred, and cruelty.
"You should have fought him, you are a coward for running." The false king snarled. The leader shook his head in denial.
"N-no your Majesty-" he was cut off by the cruel man.
"Silence." he ordered and the man obeyed "I have no use for cowards in my court," he sneered at the shaking before him "Feed them to the beasts." he ordered and the man looked up in fear and shock, several crying out in protest as the guards started to drag them away.
"Please your Majesty!" called one "Anything, anything but that, please!" but the man was quickly silenced by a punch from one of the guards.
"Be sure to gag them and bind their hands." the king drawled, bored. "We don't want the beasts harmed again." The guards shuddered slightly, the last men that had been fed to the beasts had been unbound and had harmed one of king had been so furious that he ordered the guards who had been in charge of the doomed men to be flogged and put in the cage themselves.
The king watched in disinterest as the man were dragged out of site and the doors slammed closed.
"so," he said, speaking to the only other in the room. "It appears that our young king has returned." he said, resting his chin on his hand, with his elbow resting on the throne he was on.
"It appears so my lord." came a voice from the shadows. The false king nodded.
"You know what to do." he said, waving his hand in dismissal.
"Indeed I do your Majesty." the voice said, before the owner left the room, leaving through a back door, still in the shadows. When he was the only one in the room smirked evilly to himself.
"Soon, dear nephew, we shall meet again." He chuckled darkly to himself as he leaned back in his throne.
VVVVVVVVVVVVV-line break-VVVVVVVVVVVVVV- if you don't like violence don't read this next part-VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV-*evil laugh*-VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
The man shook in fear as the guards bound his hands behind him.
"please." he whimpered slightly, staring at the giant cage in front of him in fear, a gag was quickly shoved in his mouth and tied behind his head, he looked to his companions, all of whom were bound similarly. He looked at the guard pleadingly but the only answer he got was to be shoved closer to the cage.
One of the guards walked forward and began unlocking the cage and the man began to shake violently as well as shaking his head, tears flying and trying his best to plead through the gag. He was ignored. He watched in horror as his companions were thrown in the cage one by one, he was the last and the heavy iron door slammed closed behind him. He stared into the darkness in horror as three giant sets of eyes peered out. His scream was muffled by the gag as one of the beasts lunged and the blood of the man next to him sprayed all over him and his face. The beasts eyes turned to him.
Hope you enjoyed and sorry if you think Leon was OOC but I think he might have reacted like that cause he lost people he cared about when Kilgharrah was attacking, so yeah.