Lancelot and Guinevere pt.4

Hello, hope you are having a good day.

When Uther left the room, Merlin started calming down enough to fall asleep.

"He's asleep." Gaius whispered as he checked Merlin's breathing.

"Gaius is there something you're not telling me?" Arthur asked.

"Merlin is afraid. He sees Uther as an enemy. As someone to fear. He will always try to protect Morgana. The only way for him to do so is to be with her."

"How will Morgana react around father?"

"I fear that we will find out soon."

The two went to the main room so that Merlin and Morgana could rest. They were making herbal remedies for the two when Morgana woke up. She looked over and saw that Merlin was asleep. She tried to get up but couldn't. Then Uther entered the chambers.

"How is Morgana?" Uther asked.

"She's sleeping." Gaius answered. Uther went into the bedroom and saw that Morgana was awake.

"Morgana, you're awake."

Morgana felt fear overcome her. She did everything possible to get away from Uther who got closer.

"Morgana, you're alright. You're home. You're safe." Uther said. As soon as he touched Morgana, Merlin woke up and Morgana started screaming. Merlin saw Uther and somehow ran over to Morgana and pushed Uther away. He wrapped his arms around Morgana and pulled her close. Gaius and Arthur came in and saw the three. Uther stood up and angrily looked at the two. "I want him arrested. NOW!"

"No. Father, he can't control himself. He thinks he's still being tortured. You should be grateful that he protected Morgana. He's the reason why she's still alive." Arthur explained.

"Sire, Arthur is right. Merlin's wounds are much worse than Morgana's. When he heard her scream, he thought something was wrong. He probably doesn't even realize what's happen around him. All he cares about is that Morgana is safe." Gaius finished. "Now, leave us to tend to them."

"I want him arrested and if you won't do it, I will." Uther hissed. Uther went to the door. "Guards!"

Gaius and Arthur looked at Merlin and Morgana and knew that they knew what was going on. Leon and a guard came in. "Sir Leon, I want the servant arrested. He assaulted me."

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I can't. He's delusional. He needs care. I can't arrest him till he is well." Leon warned.

"You will do as you are told or else I will have you banished from here."

"Then do it. I'd rather be banished then to have the blood of a good man on my hands."

The guard next to Leon stood closer to Leon.

"Same here, sire." He said. Uther angrily left the room. The guard followed Uther out of the room.

"We have to get them out of here before Uther returns with help." Leon stated.

"IT's late. He can't really do anything tonight. Knowing my father, we have at least two hours to act. He has a council meeting to tend to anyways." Arthur sighed. "Where's the wagon from the courtyard?"

"Outside the walls."

"Ok. We'll worry about getting to the two out of here. Get Gwen and tell her to pack supplies and take them to the wagon. Dress in plain clothes. We're going to get them out of here."

"I can help. I can make sure that they can't follow us." Merlin mumbled.

"No, you're too weak." Arthur stated.

"Arthur, I can do it. I have to."

"Not unless we have to."

Merlin nodded and watched as everyone went to work. He looked at Morgana who was curled up against him.

"Merlin, where will we go?" Morgana asked.

"I don't know. Someplace safe." Merlin answered.

An hour later, Gaius came in with clothes for the two of them and cloaks.

"DO you need help?" Gaius asked.

"No, I think we can handle it." Merlin panted.

"Tell me if you need help."

Gaius left the room. Merlin and Morgana weakly helped each other get dressed. When they were done, they tried to rest. Arthur knocked on the door.

"Come in." Merlin sighed. Arthur came in.

"What all do you have that can be packed?" Arthur asked.

"My clothes are in the closet. I have a book in a floor board under my bed."

Arthur did as he was told. When he saw the book, he looked at Merlin.

"You'll have to explain this someday." Arthur warned.

"I know." Merlin answered.

"Ok. It's time to leave."

Gaius helped Merlin walk to the dungeons while Arthur carried Morgana. They wore cloaks so that they were hidden.

"Why are we here?" Merlin asked.

"There are tunnels that we can go through. It's safer. Father's guards don't even know about them." Arthur whispered. They traveled through the tunnels. "Rumors are, these were built before the Great Purge. A prophet knew that persecution was coming and had these tunnels built in secret. The kings never knew."

"I remember hearing noise from under the castle as a boy now I know why. They have done well." Gaius replied. When they reached the end, Arthur saw Leon on the other side.

"Sire, I can't get the grate opened." Leon hissed.

"Stand back." Merlin panted. Leon did as he was told. Merlin used his magic and caused the grate to open. When they were out of the tunnel, they could see that Leon was shocked.

"Come on. Let's get them in the wagon and then get out of here." Arthur ordered. Leon helped Arthur and Gaius get Merlin and Morgana unto the wagon. Gaius told Arthur, Leon, and Gwen what they needed to do.

"If you go to Ealdor, give this letter to Hunith. She will know what to do. I will stay here and cover for you." Gaius said.

"Gaius, we won't be coming back. I will not serve my father. Not with Merlin and Morgana being who they are. When father dies, I will return and be the king I need to be but until then. It's best that we are gone."

"I understand. Maybe it is for the best. When Merlin is well enough he will explain everything, you need to know."

"I know he will."

They all said goodbye to Gaius. Gaius went to Merlin and saw that Merlin was crying. The two hugged.

"I'm sorry, Gaius. Please, come with us." Merlin cried.

"My boy, I can't come with you. I have to stay. I have to do my job but if things get worse, I will come. Now, you need to focus on resting." Gaius replied. Merlin nodded and fell asleep. Gaius watched as the five rode off into the night. He went back to the castle and tried to think about what he would say and do. When he got to his chambers, he went to work on making several remedies. Then Uther and several guards came in.

"Where is he?" Uther demanded.

"I don't know. Arthur told me to rest and he gave me a cup of water. Sire, your son drugged me and took Merlin and Morgana. They are not here." Gaius explained.

"Search the room and then search the castle. We will find them."

Meanwhile, Merlin, Morgana, Gwen, Arthur, and Leon were still traveling. Gwen tended to Merlin and Morgana who had started running fevers again. It was dawn when they saw a village.

"Just a little further until we reach the border. We need to avoid that village." Arthur said.

"Go to the far left. We'll still get to the border. We can stop once we cross the borders." Leon answered.

"We can make it to Ealdor. We have to before we can stop."

Merlin started whimpering in his sleep. Gwen tried to calm him down, but she couldn't. She saw Merlin's eyelids open. She saw that his eyes were gold. She looked around and saw a shield around them and that the trail behind them was gone.

"Oh, Merlin. Arthur, Merlin used his magic to cover our tracks and to protect us." Gwen sighed.

"But he's asleep." Leon argued.

"Yes, but according to Gaius, he is very powerful. That's part of why we are doing this. Father cannot find out about them." Arthur affirmed. "He has a lot to explain. Maybe his mother will help us."

They continued to ride. Soon, they saw Ealdor in the distance. They could see people working in the village. They looked up at Arthur and the others as they rode past. Arthur saw Hunith who saw him and dropped her basket of laundry and ran to them. Arthur and Leon stopped the wagon as Hunith climbed unto the wagon. When she saw Morgana and Merlin, her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to cover the cry of anguish that she released.

"What happened to them?" Hunith cried as she looked at Arthur tearfully.

"We'll explain, but first, we need to get them inside." Arthur replied. Hunith nodded. They got everything inside. Soon, Merlin and Morgana laid next to each other on a pallet meant for two people. Hunith ran around the house cleaning and get what she needed for everyone. She tended to Morgana and Merlin who continued to sleep.

"A few of the villagers have taken care of the horses and wagon. What happened to them? Why are you here?"

"Hengist."

"Hengist? Did he kidnap them?"

"Yes."

Arthur told Hunith everything.

"Hunith, I know this is a lot to handle and I know that you need time to process everything, but we need help caring for them and we need to know how powerful Merlin is." Arthur said. Hunith grabbed the bag of medicine that Gaius provided and looked at the letter. She sighed and went to work doing as she was told.

"At birth, he healed me from near death. I was very weak when I was pregnant with him. When he was born, I was very weak. The woman that helped me- she didn't really care what happened, so she left. I was far too weak, and Merlin healed me. He was so small and weak. He should have been dead but even after he did that, he was so strong. That's why I named him Merlin. As a child he had the personality of the bird I named him after. I can see that he hasn't changed in that way. As he grew, what he did depended on how he felt. If he was upset, pots would fall. If he was angry, pots would break. If he was happy, flames would appear. If he was scared, a wind would blow and make this whole place a mess. That would also happen in his sleep." Hunith explained.

"Did he ever try stopping?"

"Yes, he did. Several times. Each time made him very very ill. He scared me to death each time."

"Why would he do it if he knew he could die from it?"

"Because he wanted to die. He hated being alone. He hated hearing people call magical beings monsters when he knew that he was one of them. He almost told several people. It beaks my heart when I see him suffer. Now, he's going through this but it's good that you finally know the truth about him."

They talked while caring for Merlin and Morgana. A few hours later, Merlin started to stir. Morgana felt him move and moved so that she could put her head on his chest. Merlin wrapped his arms around Morgana and pulled her close. He opened his eyes and looked around. He smiled when he saw his mother.

"Mother?" Merlin rasped.

"It's good to see you awake Merlin." Hunith whispered. She kissed Merlin's forehead. For the next day, everyone got settled into their new lives while Merlin and Morgana tried to recover.

In Camelot, life was hard for everyone. Uther was very angry.

"Have you found them yet?" Uther hissed.

"I'm sorry, my lord. We haven't found them. We have looked everywhere." The knight said.

"FIND THEM! NOW! DO NOT RETURN WITHOUT THEM OR YOU WILL DIE!"

"Yes, sire."

He bowed his head and left the room. Gaius went to Uther.

"Sire, they are trying their best, but you know Arthur. He will not want to be found." Gaius stated.

"But if the other kings find him, they will use him against us, if the boy hasn't already." Uther answered.

"Why are you accusing Merlin? He has done nothing wrong."

"He attacked me."

"He was hurting inside. He did not know what he was doing."

"I want them found and I will do what I please to them. What about Ealdor? Would Arthur have taken them there?"

"No, sire. I highly doubt it. The people know who he is. They would tell their friends and it would start chaos."

"Maybe your right. Arthur is too smart to do that."

Gaius left the room and sighed. He went to his chambers and sighed sadly as he looked around the room. He missed Merlin. He missed walking in and seeing the boy's smile. He hoped that everyone was safe. Gaius realized something and left the chambers. Soon, he found himself at the entrance to the dragon's cave. He went inside and saw him watching.

"Arthur knows, doesn't he?" The dragon asked.

"Yes. They have fled from here. Uther doesn't know about Merlin or Morgana's magic." Gaius replied.

"Destiny has changed for the witch. Now, she will help bring peace. Her child and the once and future queen's child will be the start of a new era. They must be protected."

"I understand. I am doing everything possible to protect them from Uther's wrath."

"I trust you will. What is troubling you?"

"Morgana. She has magic."

"Yes."

"What is her gift?"

"She is the last high priestess. She is very powerful. Now, her fate is sealed with Merlin's. No matter what, they would always end up being entwined, now it is for the good of the kingdoms and the future. Their souls will be entwined forever."

"You mean marriage?"

"Yes, Morgana carries the future inside her womb. The day, she gives birth to this child, Uther will die, and Arthur will become king and we will all be free."

"Who is the once and future queen?"

"The servant that you call Guinevere. Her soul is linked with Arthur's."

In Ealdor, it was night. Everyone was sleeping except Merlin and Morgana who had just woken up.

"I wonder how Gaius is doing?" Merlin whispered.

"He must be taking the brunt of Uther's wrath." Morgana replied.

"I hope not. He's old. He doesn't need that."

"We'll see him again."

"I know. I just want to be safe. I just wish I knew why Uther reacted the way he did."

"Me too. He never would have reacted that way."

"I wonder if he found out."

"I'm sure he didn't, Merlin. We never would have gotten away if he did."

"You have a point."

"We should get some sleep. We'll need it."

They kissed passionately and then went back to sleep.

TBC