The police interviewed Agravaine De Bois once more once the drawings were all looked at. After informing him of his rights and with his solicitor present he was asked "We now have new evidence regarding your assault on Prince Merlin Pendragon. As you know he is a talented artist and more drawings were found in the cellar that clearly implicate you. Do you have anything to say?"
"Nothing more than I have already said" came the sullen reply.
"The physical examination you underwent this morning revealed a birth mark on your left groin. Can you think of any circumstance Prince Merlin would have had occasion to see you groin if these allegations are false?"
Agravaine looked at his lawyer "No Comment"
The lawyer and the defendant were shown a photocopy of one of the drawings "The birthmark is clearly seen, and so is your face"
"I need to speak to my client alone" the lawyer told the police.
They were left alone the restarted the interview. "My client says that saw the Prince only once and didn't know who he was, or that he was a prisoner, the man consented to have oral sex and in fact instigated it. As he has told you before he knew of the cellar room, but understood the late King was using it for his liaisons. Again he stresses that he was unaware the person was his nephew and it was consensual"
Despite continuing the police got no further.
They also interviewed the others and each one was shown drawings of themselves. Helios, Beroun and Odin admitted their involvement after being shown drawings from over a period of several years, they implicated the others not wanting to go down alone. They each tried to say they had been forced into it by the King. Odin even went as far as to say that Cenred and Valliant had discussed killing the prince and leaving his body in the cellar once the king was dead. Valliant and Cenred maintained their innocence claiming never to have seen the prince.
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When Arthur spoke to the commissioner that afternoon about what had occurred the day before he was both saddened and angered.
"Bearing in mind that he was caught with several and they were destroyed it gives some idea of what he suffered, as they appear to only be about the worst episodes. They experts are studying the handwriting with books we recovered they seem to have started in the Princes early teens, when he found the hiding place." Bayard told the King "There were forty two in total and these of course were the ones he managed to hide and not get found doing."
"I understand they identify the people will this help the case?" Arthur asked.
"They will, your brother is a talented artist, comes from having little else to do I suppose. The ones of you Uncle are detailed enough to show a birth mark on this left groin, something the Prince could not have known in normal circumstances. The depictions of the Prince are vague but the perpetrators are clear. Also on each drawing are words written some clearly what the men said to your brother…obscenities and instructions for instance. Others are the reasons for the 'punishments'" Bayard looked at the prince in sympathy "I understand from Prince Merlin's therapists that actually doing the drawings would have helped your brother cope with what was being done to him and that in hiding them he was in a way putting it behind him."
"Have any of the others admitted their involvement yet?" Arthur asked. It would be so much easier if they did for his brother.
"Yes three more have, in full, when faced with the new evidence. Agravaine De Bois had now said he only knew once the late King was in hospital, and has claimed your brother was fully consenting and willing actually instigating the events. But the prosecuting lawyers are confident of proving otherwise. I'm afraid from what we have been told the men had planned on murdering your brother and leaving his body in the cellar. At least the late Kings confession stopped that. The prosecuting Lawyers will be interviewing the Prince, with his therapist present over the next few days." He paused.
"I would like to discuss your brother's security arrangements with you. It's clear that at least for the foreseeable future the Prince will be at a higher security risk due to his vulnerability and public interest. I understand Gwaine Green had developed a good rapport with Prince Merlin. I would like to suggest he remains long term as a close Protection Officer, but to appear more as a friend to the public. With a further Private Protection officer present as well as the other officers when the Prince leaves the castle. He is after all second in line to the throne."
"I agree, Gwaine has proven invaluable. I would like those measures to continue. I believe he will always need that extra layer of protection."
"I agree Sir and I will fight for that" Bayard told the King
"If not then I will fund it" Arthur stressed "We owe him that at the very least. Thank you for keeping me informed."
Arthur had a head ache by the time the meeting had finished. But he had one more thing he needed to do before he had a break. He asked for his sister to come and see him "Morgana I wanted you to know I have asked for the Commonwealth and British Government to change the laws on succession to allow you to be second in line. It wouldn't be fair to ask that of Merlin, I have talked to the Medical people and they all agree that he is unlikely to ever completely recover from his ordeal enough to be strong enough to cope"
Morgana looked shocked "Isn't it a bit early for that!"
"No Morgana, I have to be fair, in this day and age it is a ridiculous law anyway. Let's face fact Morgs, Merlin couldn't cope, in many ways he still has a child's mind, even if some of the things he's been through no one should have. He didn't have a childhood I can't ask him to be tied to the crown. I want him to have some life. If anything happens to me you will make an excellent Queen"
"Thank you Arthur, I understand what you are saying, it just seems wrong to take it from him. But you are right, he will have an easier life without it. Do you think it will go through?"
"Yes I'm almost certain, after all Merlin's circumstances are well known. But don't worry I'm not planning on leaving this life yet!" Arthur told his sister "Now shall we go and get a coffee and see Merlin."
The interviews with Merlin by the Crown Prosecution service's top barrister John Kilgarrah and police took four days in all. They spent three hours at a time with the prince. But they were productive and Kilgarrah was very good at getting information from Merlin gently. The interviews were filmed so they could be presented as evidence. One of the drawings had shown what looked like a small screen and had lots of writing on it. Merlin confirmed that his uncle had shown him a graphic film of a gang rape. And told him if Merlin didn't do as he asked that would be what would happen to him. A search was then made to try to trace the phone. A further phone was found and sent to the labs to see what they could find.
Merlin did have problems after the meetings and Gwaine had also sat in on them to support Merlin. Merlin had a seizure the day following as well as nightmares for several days. Aithusa helped but Merlin went back on mild sedation for a few days.