"Where's Merlin?" the old physician had asked cautiously a while ago and it felt like it was gripping Arthur's whole being. It wasn't questioning, it wasn't imperious, it was simply.. scared. Scared for the boy's well being like any guardian would be for their ward's. And Arthur closed his eyes in a frown. He found it hard to answer, because he too was dreading to think about it.
"He's.. He came back with me, but.." damn, it was hard, and he couldn't understand what was going on. "My father.. my father had ordered him to be taken down below." and he felt the old man's hands tense on his arm as he was getting it bandaged.
He was full of cuts and bruises. And so was Merlin. They got attacked on patrol and things just went downhill from there, resulting in almost a fortnight of imprisonment.
They were dirty; hungry and cold; worn out and in pain; and were overjoyed when the rescue-party had arrived. The landlord that was behind it all had been killed in the fight, - and in a way, Arthur thought, he was lucky to have that happen instead of having to face Uther's wrath. - With the rest of his men imprisoned; they headed back to Camelot. Back home.
But something went wrong.. something must have happened.. But what? What did his father see that made him react that way?..
It was just Merlin.. the very same Merlin that left with him on patrol. Sure they were all battered up and hardly recognizable from all the layers of dirt and wounds and grown facial hair, but nothing changed. However, Uther seemed to think differently, and Arthur as determined to find out why.
"Where's Merlin?" Gaius's words still echoed in the young prince as they arrived to the place they only refer to as "down below". And then he heard the screams, oh he heard them, and he thought he will never in his life forget them, so full of pain were those wails.