Author's Note: Oh my god, finally! It has taken me several months longer then I thought, but I've finally finished this damn chapter. -collapses- So, I had some computer issues that thankfully I dealt with, but it meant I couldn't finish this chapter before heading off to college. Then university got crazy and I forgot all about writing over dealing with classes. I am truly sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but again life happens and you can't always expect everything. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Merlin.
Warning: MalexMale relationship. I'm sure I really don't need to keep reiterating this warning, but whatever. You've been warned!
Chapter 6
The sun was starting to go down by the time the King, his manservant, and his knights arrived in the small village. The group had gotten a slow start that morning and was running later than they planned for. They all cautiously made their way into the village. The knights had their swords drawn as their eyes scanned everywhere. Merlin was trailing a little behind the knights using his magical senses to seek out the griffin. Arthur turns to face his men and keeps his voice low as he orders firmly, "Spread out. The griffin should be making an appearance any moment now."
The men did as ordered, spreading out to cover more ground. Merlin did the same, walking away from the king and the other knights towards where his senses were drawing him. It wasn't until he felt the presence of magic growing stronger that he realized that he had no weapon to kill the griffin. His eyes widen as he stumbles a step back just as the griffin crashed into view. The massive creature was in a way beautiful. A regal eagle's head with the body of a lion. It was a shame that griffins were always violent as Merlin hated to kill the creature. In his haste to get out of the griffin's sight, Merlin unwittingly drew the creature's attention as the griffin's eyes focused solely on the manservant.
Merlin turns and takes off running, aware of the sound of the griffin chasing after him. He hoped to get some distance between himself and the creature, but Merlin was uncertain that he could outrun it. He had tried that once before and it had ended with Lancelot being badly injured. "Arthur!" He shouts desperately, needing the knights to come with their swords so Merlin can enchant one of them.
As Merlin's running, his accursed clumsiness kicks in and Merlin stumbles and falls to the ground. He tries to recover quickly rolling over on his back so he could push himself to his feet, but he's realizes quickly that he's too slow. The griffin is bearing down on him and Merlin knows with a horrifying certainty that he won't be able to get out of the way in time. He hears Arthur call his name desperately, "Merlin!"
Merlin closes his eyes, resigning himself to his fate, only to have his eyes snap open suddenly when he hears a familiar voice scream, "Bregdan anweald gafeluc!"
Standing in front of him is Mordred, his eyes are blazing gold as his sword suddenly catches fire with blue flames as he pierces the griffin's flank. Immediately, the light of life in the griffin's eyes dims and then fades completely as the griffin collapses dead. Merlin can feel his throat tightening as he watches the gold fade to blue in Mordred's eyes. This isn't something that Merlin could cover up. Arthur and all the knights just witnessed Mordred using magic, and some of the villagers who had stepped out of their houses had also seen it too. Merlin looks over to Arthur to see an unreadable expression on Arthur's face. Everything seems to be paused as everyone holds their breath awaiting Arthur to say something. "Arrest him."
Merlin chokes as he hears the emotionless order come from Arthur. The other knights reluctantly move forward and reach out for Mordred. Merlin is surprised when Mordred doesn't even put up a fight, instead just allowing the other knights to take him. Merlin scrambles to his feet and he moves to Arthur's side. "Arthur, you can't do this! Mordred just saved all of our lives!"
Arthur gives Merlin a stony look and he remarks calmly in almost a sad tone, "Magic is illegal in Camelot, Merlin. That's the law."
Merlin watches in disbelief as Arthur stalks away. In that moment, Merlin despaired over the future as his world crumbled around him.
/BREAK/BREAK/BREAK/
Arthur can't believe what just happened. He had told the knights to spread out in search for the griffin and somehow Merlin stumbled onto the creature first. Arthur had heard Merlin call his name, and he had immediately come running to his friend's rescue. Arthur was too far away when he saw Merlin stumble and fall, and for a moment Arthur had feared he would lose his best friend in that moment. Instead, Mordred stepped in. The young knight had used his magic to kill the griffin protecting the manservant from certain death. Arthur felt grateful towards young Mordred since he saved Merlin's life, but Arthur couldn't let the use of magic go. Especially not in front of so many witnesses.
It pained Arthur to order the young man's arrest. It hurt even worse once he saw the destroyed look in Merlin's eyes. The manservant must already be expecting the worse now that Mordred had been arrested. Not wanting to stay in the village long, the group had already departed with Mordred tied to his horse. Arthur was a little surprised by the fact that Mordred put up no fight to being bound and arrested. From what they all witnessed, the King knew that Mordred was a powerful sorcerer who could easily escape if he wanted to.
Now, the night had fully taken hold and the group had set up camp unable to travel any further in the darkness. Mordred was tied to a tree, guarded by Leon and Elyan. Gwaine was sitting next to Merlin, trying to cheer the servant up the best as the roguish knight could. It hurt Arthur to look at Merlin who looked so broken and lifeless that not even Gwaine's efforts to comfort him worked.
Arthur took a seat next to his largest and quietest knight feeling worn out despite the fact he did little to actually kill the creature they were hunting. Percival was a solid, unjudging presence at his side and Arthur was glad to be near someone who wasn't glaring at him. "Do you think I did the right thing?" Arthur asks in a soft voice.
Percival flicks Arthur an unreadable look, visibly mulling over Arthur's words before replying, "I believe you did the right thing to keep up appearances. But, that doesn't mean I believe it to be a good decision. Sir Mordred is one of us. He's proven that on more than one occasion."
"I know." Arthur says in a wrecked voice, "But, magic is illegal. I couldn't ignore such a visible display."
A flicker of surprise flashes in Percival's eyes, "Are you saying that you knew of Sir Mordred's magic beforehand?"
Arthur nods, "I did." He looks a little embarrassed as he continues, "I overheard my manservant speaking with Mordred. Merlin was worried and Mordred confessed to not only having magic, but being powerful enough that Merlin didn't need to worry about him being killed."
Percival flicks a look over to where Merlin is sitting, "Perhaps Merlin isn't afraid of Mordred's death."
"Then what is he afraid of?"
Percival smiles sadly, "Losing the people he loves. Either to exile or execution, it doesn't matter. No matter what Merlin will lose someone." The large man stares thoughtfully at Merlin for a long moment, "He won't forgive us if we order Mordred's execution." Percival states as if the statement is a fact.
Arthur hadn't thought of that. Ordering Mordred's arrest has set in motion something that Arthur is unsure he can stop. The King is struggling to hold on to his convictions with all the new information that has been dumped on him recently. "Do you believe magic to be evil, Sir Percival?"
"No." Percival replies firmly.
Arthur blinks in surprise. He didn't expect such a quick response, nor one that sounded so certain. Percival smiles faintly at Arthur's confusion, "Magic is only a tool. It's neither evil nor good, it just is." A dark shadow passes in Percival's eyes and for the first time since the King started this conversation the large knight looks uncertain, "You know, when we spoke of Lancelot last night, it reminded me of an old story he once told me."
Arthur's eyes darken in barely contained anger, but he nods for the knight to continue knowing that Percival would only bring up the story if it was important for their conversation. "After I started traveling with Lancelot, I had eventually asked about how he came to be in Cenred's kingdom and he told me about how his time in Camelot. He told me about the griffin and how he didn't kill it. A sorcerer had come to his aid and assisted him in killing the griffin and saved Camelot. It's the reason why he left Camelot. Lancelot stated that he couldn't in good honor take credit for an act he didn't perform."
The King was surprised by this information. He knew of no sorcerer who would be willing to sacrifice himself for Camelot like that. Arthur's gaze drifts back to Merlin who's sitting on the other side of the clearing as thoughts and questions spin crash and bang around in his mind. There were just so many questions on his mind and not enough answers. He wishes he only just had more time to figure things out. But, time wasn't a luxury that Arthur had.
/BREAK/BREAK/BREAK/
Merlin stares absently into the distance. He feels disconnected, hollow inside where normally he would feel anger or sadness. He just can't believe that this is happening again. Merlin had tried so hard, held on to so much hope that the future would be brighter yet something always came along to shatter his perfect illusion.
For just a moment, underneath the sadness anger bubbled in Merlin's chest. Anger at himself, at Arthur, at the universe! How cruel Fate was for continuously throwing Merlin head first into difficult positions. Just once, Merlin wished things could go right. The relationship had he so carefully built with Mordred, the dreams he and the young Druid boy shared, they were all crumbling down on Merlin's head and the warlock could only watch helplessly. Soon, they would return to Camelot and Mordred would be sentenced to death. From that point either two things will happen, either Mordred will be executed or Mordred would escape and become Arthur's downfall just like Fate proclaimed.
Merlin couldn't help but dread the fact that Kilgarrah's dire proclamations would come to pass. He had been so determined to make sure that he wouldn't fail Mordred like he had failed Morgana. Merlin had allowed himself to care for the Druid boy, had even fallen in love with the sarcastic, dry-witted young man. And now Merlin is going to lose everything again to the Pendragons.
A bitter part of Merlin's mind laughed at Merlin's naivety. It had been a stupid hope to believe he could defy Fate. Merlin had been an idiot to believe he could ever change Arthur's mind, let alone so quickly as to keep Mordred from falling to Fate.
"Merlin?"
The soft question breaks Merlin from his darkening thoughts and drags his focus to Arthur's guilty face. Good, a dark part of Merlin thinks. Arthur should feel guilty. After all Merlin shared with him, Arthur still callously arrested Mordred after saving Merlin's life. "What do you want?" Merlin growls, too angry to care about the way he's speaking to the King.
Arthur's gaze slides away from Merlin's face in shame while Merlin waits for Arthur to get to the point of why he's over here. "I just… I wanted to see how you were holding up, Merlin?"
Merlin's eyes flash with pure anger, the first raw emotion since Mordred had been tied up. "How am I doing?!" He shoots to his feet, rage shaking his slender frame, "How dare you?" He snarls in a low voice, "How dare you ask me that question when you're the reason I'm falling apart to begin with!"
Arthur visibly flinches under Merlin's rage, surprise flashing in his eyes. Merlin is too angry to realize that he's drawing the eyes of everyone else in the clearing. He can feel Mordred's mind brushing his, but Merlin violently shuts him out. Merlin doesn't want his rage to be soothed, not now with Arthur breaking the final straw. "He saved my life!" Merlin continues to rage, "How can you continue to see magic as evil, when despite the fact he knew what you'd do he still jumped in front of that griffin to save me? So don't you dare try to talk to me as friends when you're the one hurting me."
With that, Merlin whirls around and stops into the wood. Anger burns in his veins yet he can still hear everything happening in the clearing. He can hear Arthur attempting to come after him, and also can hear the knights holding Arthur back. Insisting Merlin needed his space. After that, Merlin couldn't hear anymore since he had stormed too far away from camp to pick up any words. Merlin brushes at his eyes angrily, wiping away roughly the tears that had leaked from his eyes during his angry ranting. "Emrys?" The familiar voice whispers in Merlin's mind.
"Leave me alone." Merlin mutters out loud at the same time he thinks it to Mordred.
"I wish you wouldn't despair, Emrys. While everything may seem dark now, you must believe in the destiny you've been working to create. Arthur is an honorable man, he will take what he's learned and hear me out." Mordred words attempt to soothe Merlin's darkening heart, yet Merlin can't quite believe in them.
"You do not know him as I do, Mordred. He may be noble and honorable, but he his fallible. And when it comes to magic, he'll never listen." Merlin sighs fatalistically, "I've watched him destroy too many with magic to believe he will exempt you… I can't get my hope up not if it's only going to be crushed."
"Then, perhaps I'll just have to believe enough for the both of us." Mordred insists, strength of conviction in his voice.
Merlin for a moment wishes he could have that same naive hope that his lover has.
Author's Note: So, I hope you liked it! And I really hope I'll be able to crank out the next chapter soon. But, I wouldn't let your hopes get to high on that. Christmas break is coming soon though so I might get a chance to write then. Anyways, thanks to everyone for having patience with me. ~Shirley