The Change in Arthur

The first thing that he realised was that he had been tied up with his hands above his head and that he had been there for a while. He could feel a tingly feeling in his arms. He tried to move his hands to inspect the knot but found that it was useless.

The second thing that he realised was that he shouldn't have tried to move. Because he was obviously being watched and a second after he stopped moving, a bucket of cold water hit him. He opened his eyes and gasped. The cell that he was in was cold but somehow the water felt colder.

His eyes took a while to adjust to the lack of light in the room. He was trying to piece together what happened. One minute he was talking with Gwen and finding out how much of an idiot he had been and the next … they had been ambushed. He prayed to everything that she was alright and got back to Camelot safely.

He tried to remember if he had any injuries but a finger just under his ribs proved that he had been hurt.

"Ah, poor Arthur. So brave and strong."

He knew the voice. Her name was on the tip of his tongue when his eyes finally adjusted and he saw her.

"Morgause."

"Do you know who else was brave?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"Your father. I was there when he said that change will be good. The change he was talking about would only be the start. Tell me Arthur, how much do you trust your cousin?"

Arthur's mind quickly flew back to all the things that Merlin had done for him in the short space of time that they had known each other. "With my life."

"The thing is, you are the unfortunate one in this. You have both Pendragon and Eorðdraca blood running through your veins. The two things I distrust the most."

"Then why aren't I dead?"

She laughed. "Because you are more use to me alive than dead. I realise now I am never going to get my sister on my side. Not by her own choice. I know a number of different ways that I can get her. But I have to do it before she marries your cousin. So I need him to die as soon as possible."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Oh Arthur. Are you really that oblivious?"

He just gave her a blank look. He really didn't know how he fitted in to all this.

"You are the greatest warrior in the five kingdoms. We have hired a number of trained assassins to kill your cousin and all of them are now dead. What a way to turn a whole kingdom against each other? Have the son be just like his father. Kill the King of Camelot and with no remorse. Oh, the kingdom would be split. Morgana would hate you and it would be us that will pick up the pieces."

"There are two things I don't understand. One, Why you think I would do a thing like that? And two why do you want Merlin dead? He will make magic free. Isn't that what you want?"

She laughed again. "Yes Merlin will bring back magic. Magic will flow through he streets of Camelot once more. He knows what it is like to hide himself but he won't give the magical community what they want." She poked him. "Your kind killed ours." She poked him again. "Your kind thought that it was right that we had to be purged from the lands. We will have our revenge. Magic will rule as it always should have done."

Arthur tried to move away from her as she brought her hands up to his head.

She hushed him. "This won't hurt a bit."

It was a huge relief when Arthur was found wondering about the forest. Merlin ran down the halls as soon as he heard the news, only stopping outside the physician's chambers to catch his breath and straight his clothes. He would just call him a girls petticoat if he knew what he had just done.

He walked through the door and saw him sitting on one of the benches. Gaius was wrapping a bandage around his side.

"Nothing serious I hope." He said.

Gaius jumped slightly. "Merlin, you mustn't sneak up on an old man like that."

"Sorry."

"It is nothing more than a flesh wound. It will heal in a few weeks."

Merlin smiled at Arthur but he went back to worrying when he didn't match it.

Everything returned to normal. Arthur still cut himself off the group but Merlin just put that down to the reason that he hadn't still forgiven them for his father's death.

So it surprised him when Arthur joined them on the training field. He gave no reason but Merlin was just glad that he was there. He knew that Arthur would give him a fair fight. He had been training with others and he was sure that they weren't fighting to the best of their ability.

Arthur gestured with his head and Merlin walked over to him. He watched him for a moment as he swung his sword around, getting ready to spar with him.

"Let's see how rusty you have got."

If anything, that was the side of Arthur that he missed. The jokey, carefree side.

"I doubt I have."

"Well we will see won't we?"

Merlin was the first to strike. He swung at his injured side, which Arthur blocked quick enough. They carried on striking and blocking each other until something changed and Arthur started to attack him. He was putting all his weight into each strike and Merlin started to struggle.

It wasn't until he was on his back that he realised that he wasn't going to stop. The only way he could see a way out was to use magic but after Leon's comment, he was a little apprehensive. He rolled as Arthur brought down his sword. He looked around for his own but found that it was behind Arthur.

In that moment, everything slowed down to a near stop. Merlin felt like he could move around but his feet were glued to the floor. He tried to use his magic to get his sword but it stayed on the ground. He looked at Arthur and saw the pure determination in his face. There could only be one thing that happened and that was that Morgause got to him. She was also behind his assassination attempts. Not that it made any sense at all.

But Arthur wouldn't do this off his own back. No matter how much he hated them and blamed them for his father's death. He would never be able to kill him.

Time unfroze but Merlin stayed where he was. The realisation had glued him to the spot and his body wouldn't allow him to move.

Something blurred in front of him and he watched as Lancelot started to spar with Arthur. It was the second time that he had saved his life and Merlin knew that he was forever going to be owing him. They just had to knock him out. They just had to see what spell Arthur was under.

"Guards. Arrest him." Merlin found himself shouting.

He watched Arthur struggle. Calling out that they couldn't do this.

Merlin walked up to Lancelot. "Thank you."

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"I am going to go and find whatever spell Morgause put him under."

Merlin smiled at him before walking off. He had to sort this out and quickly.