Life Outside of the Shadows

by TreeOfLife1997

Based at the end of series four. When Merlin reveals his magic to save the life of Isolde, has he just sacrificed Albion's golden future? Or has he just began the new age? Arthur and the knights must come to terms with Merlin's magic. So with a little help from Taliesin, they watch Merlin's adventures. And with a new form of dark magic rising, will all be learnt before all is lost?

36. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Chapter thirty-five: The castle of Fyrien and Love in the time of dragons.

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In a time of myth and a land of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy his name…. Merlin.

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The scene shows Gwen blowing out the last of the candles in Morgana's room before leaving for the night. She walks back through the lower town to her home, no one is around and it's almost completely dark. After entering her home, she knocked out by a couple of men and taken from the city. Morgana just watches from her window with a wicked smile.

Elyan glances at his sister in worry. "I'm sorry."

Gwen shakes her head. "It wasn't your fault."

"If I hadn't been caught…."

"Cenrid ordered for you to be caught," Gwen replies. "Not many can hide from an army."

"She planned it, didn't she?" Isolde asks. "She arranged for that to happen."

Gaius nodes. "She did. It was the perfect way to lead Arthur into a trap."

Gwen shakes her head. "What did I do, to make her hate me so much?"

The following morning Merlin wakes Arthur up, tries to find a new morning greeting for Arthur and gets a breakable object thrown at him. As Arthur and Uthur talk over breakfast, Morgana arrives late and informs the Gwen didn't tune up for work. Afterwards Arthur tells Merlin to go down to Gwen's house and find out what's wrong. And so Merlin goes down to Gwen's house and works out Gwen has been kidnapped.

Gwen smiles as she watches Merlin duck out the way of the object Arthur throws at him. "Will you ever change Arthur?"

Arthur smiled slightly. "He's getting better…. He ducks out the way of most things I throw at him."

"Morgana really is good at acting," Leon mutters. "If I hadn't known she planned Gwen's kidnapping, I really would have believed she was worried."

Percival nodes. "The smirking was the only thing that gave her away."

Gwaine grins at Arthur. "You could have gone to look you know?"

"I couldn't," Arthur answers. "I had work to do…. Plus if my father had ever found out…."

"He nearly had Gwen executed," Leon continues. "For enchanting Arthur…. A servant and a prince can never marry."

In Cenrid's dungeons Elyan is chained to a wall, whist Cenred and Morgause watch him. Not long after Gwen is bought into the throne room and thrown before Cenred and not long after Elyan is bought in. As Elyan and Gwen try to work out why Cenred would want them, Cenrid and Morgause watch them from a window above. Back in Camelot Merlin shows Arthur what he has found and also tells him what he thinks has happened to Gwen.

Tristan sighs. "He wanted Elyan and Gwen to try and lead Arthur into a trap."

Gaius nodes. "He was a cruel man."

Everyone laughs as Arthur presses the cloth to his face before sniffing it.

"You're an idiot Arthur," Gwaine laughs. "Even Merlin was wise enough to sniff the cloth from a distance."

Percival grins. "That could have been a painful landing, if Merlin hadn't used magic to move the chair."

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Back in Cenrid's castle, Cenrid tells Gwen the reason she was bought here. If she doesn't bring Prince Arthur, her brother will be killed. Back in Camelot Arthur is informing the king and Morgana what he knows of Gwen's disappearance. The following day Gwen returns, Morgana acts surprised and pleased to see her. As Gwen takes the Morgana's laundry down to the wash room, she and Merlin crash into each other. Gwen tries to lie about where she had been, but Merlin tells her he knew she was lying. Finally, when they return to Gwen's house, Merlin convinces Gwen to tell him what was wrong.

Elyan glares at Cenrid. "He had no right to threaten you like that, Gwen."

Gwen shivers slightly. "I was so worried he was going to kill you…. I knew I couldn't go to Arthur."

"He had no right to threaten either of you like that." Percival corrects Elyan. "Neither of you were from his kingdom, he took both of you from Camelot."

Gwaine shakes his head. "Least Merlin knew what was going on…. I thought Morgana would have gotten Gwen to tell her, then convinced Arthur to help."

"Morgana wouldn't," Percival answers. "If she asked too many questions, Gwen might have got suspicious."

Isolde smiles. "It shows Merlin cares…. Many friends would have just taken your word for being ill."

Merlin convinces Gwen to tell Arthur and Arthur works out which castle Elyan is being held in…. The castle of Fyrien. Unknown to them Morgana is listening in on their talk. As Arthur comes up with a plan to rescue Elyan, Morgana just smirks, whilst Merlin knows it's a trap and that if Arthur dies Uthur is all who stands between Morgana and the throne of Camelot. Later that night Morgana rides out to tell Morgause that their plan is working the way they wanted it to.

"And you call Merlin an idiot," Gwaine laughs. "Least he could use magic to get into the castle! What are you going to do, go knock on the front gate and politely ask is they can release Elyan?"

Arthur glares at Gwaine. "We were going to use the secret tunnels under the castle…. But somehow they knew we were there."

"And it was no doubt Morgana who told them," Leon mutters. "She must have listened in on all of your plans."

Gwen glances at Arthur. "No she didn't…. We, well Merlin didn't, agreed to let her come with us."

Tristan shakes his head. "You should really listen to Merlin more."

"They should," Gaius mutters. "But I don't think they ever will."

The following day Arthur comes up with a lie, so his father doesn't question where he has gone. He tells Uthur he lost a bet with Morgana and needs to get some silk to have dresses made for her, which Uthur finds highly amusing and tells him to hurry up or Morgana will have his guts. Merlin tries not to laugh as they leave the hall. As Merlin prepares to leave, he and Gaius fear Morgana has been feeding Cenrid information. As Merlin leaves, Gaius asks him if Morgana knows of their plan and Merlin answers no, unaware that Morgana does.

Gwaine grins. "Princess, no need to lie about who the silk dresses were for…. We all know what you get up to in your free time."

Arthur glares at Gwaine. "I had to come up with something, losing a bet to Morgana would be the least questionable."

Leon smiled. "Nobody wins bets against Morgana…. I have yet to meet anyone who has even come close to winning a bet with her."

Percival shakes his head. "Would Merlin have been able to have done anything, if he had known Morgana knew the plan?"

Gaius shakes his head. "To have told anyone Morgana was a traitor would have been committing treason in Uthur's eyes. All he could was stop her, without getting caught."

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Down in the court yard, Merlin fears the worst when Morgana informs him she coming with them. After trying to talk Arthur out of bringing Morgana with them, Merlin just knows he's going to have his work cut out keeping Arthur safe. So the four of them ride out on a quest to save Gwen's brother. As they ride Arthur and Gwen talk and Merlin gets made fun of.

Elyan glanced at Arthur. "Merlin is more than capable of protecting you…. Yet you wanted the person who was most likely to stab you in the back protecting you."

"I didn't know Morgana was a traitor," Arthur defends himself. "Had I known I wouldn't have trusted her."

"You really don't make Merlin's job easy, do you?" Percival sighs. "I suppose least now Merlin can keep an eye on her."

Gwaine grins. "You do relies Merlin is the one who protects all of us, right? I don't think he needs protecting."

"He needs more protection than you'll ever need," Gaius answers. "He worries so much about protecting others, he does not protect himself."

Leon glances at Arthur. "I remember when you feared those woods, you used to be so on edge, it made everyone else nervous."

After sending Merlin off to check on Morgana, Arthur and Gwen get some time alone. They talk about Elyan and their feelings for each other. Elsewhere in the woods, Merlin and Morgana talk, Merlin fails to understand how someone can hurt their friends and Morgana tells him they just poison them. Merlin promises Morgana he will do whatever it takes to protect his friends and appears quite threatening, whilst doing so. Arthur and Gwen go to kiss but Merlin and Morgana return.

"I really hope I never get on the wrong side of Merlin," Gwaine mutters. "He seemed quite….."

"Deadly?" Leon suggests.

"What about dangerous?" Elyan mutters.

"Or threatening?" Percival adds.

Gwaine nodes. "He seemed serious…. Almost…. Dark and I dare say evil."

Gaius shakes his head. "Merlin would never be evil…. He's just not the best person to get on the wrong side of."

Isolde smiles at Gwen. "You and Arthur will always be there for each other, that I am sure of."

Later when they are all eating, Arthur explains there is a secret way into the castle. Merlin tries his best to stop Arthur from explaining the secret way in, knowing Morgana will tell Morgause, but fails. And as Merlin knew, Morgana tells Morgause of the tunnels under the castle. Morgause gives Morgana an enchanted ring, which she simply has to place on the ground and it will lead them to the tunnels.

Leon shakes his head. "If only we knew Morgana was a traitor, it would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"Princess," Gwaine smiles. "You really need to stop giving away top secret information to the enemy, it's really not helping Merlin."

"Shut up, Gwaine."

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The following morning, they set off again. Merlin who knows Morgana is planning something spots a snake in the grass and uses magic, to enchant it into scaring Morgana horse. Morgana is thrown from her horse and damages her ankle. Merlin tells her she needs to rest but Morgana refuses to be left behind, so continues with them. In the castle Cenrid and Morgause talk, Morgause reassures Cenrid that Morgana will lead them straight to the tunnels entrance.

Tristan shakes his head, as Merlin fails to keep Morgana from going with them. "How all of you are still alive is a miracle on Merlin's part, you seem to like making it as hard for him as possible to keep you alive and safe."

As they approach the tunnels, Arthur tells Merlin he is willing to bet his life Cenrid doesn't know about the tunnels, after Merlin tells him he has an instinct that tells him this is a bad idea. As they reach the tunnel entrance, Morgana places the ring on the ground and it lets out a bright coloured smoke. Not long after they enter the tunnels they get caught by Cenrid's men.

Everyone jumps as Gwen pulls at some cobwebs and a skeleton drops out on her.

"Least Morgana didn't enchant the skeletons to attack you." Gwaine mutters. "There were quite a lot of them down there."

Arthur rolls his eyes. "It's not funny Gwaine."

"Who's laughing?" Gwaine grins.

After being thrown before Cenrid, they are all taken to the dungeons. Elyan and Gwen share a cell, where Elyan tells Gwen she shouldn't have come back for him. Elyan then works out Arthur and Gwen have feelings for each other. They also talk about how Elyan never wrote or came back when their father died. Elsewhere Morgana is bought to the throne room where she, Morgause and Cenrid talk about what they are going to do with Arthur. Back in the dungeons, Arthur is coming up with a plan to get them out. And their plan works. All they had to do now was get past the guard to the dungeons.

Leon smiles. "I feel slightly better now I know Cenrid's guards are even worse than ours."

Gwaine grins. "Yeah, like Merlin would have said if the princess escaped."

Percival laughed as Merlin shoved Arthur in front of the guard. "That I believe was revenge."

"For what?" Arthur asks.

Elyan smiled. "You pushed Merlin out in front of the guards when you went to save Gwen after she was taken in Morgana's place, remember?"

Tristan smiled. "To think that guard would have killed you if not for Merlin casting a spell to make him lose his trousers."

With Elyan and Gwen now free too, Arthur sets out to find Morgana, after he orders Merlin, Gwen and Elyan to leave. But Merlin follows Arthur knowing he cannot beat Morgause and Cenrid alone, plus Morgana would be there. Merlin quickly follows Arthur, as he makes it to the throne room. Morgause summons a column of fire and sends it towards Arthur, Merlin quickly casts a spell casing it to explode, knocking Morgause and Cenrid unconscious.

Percival glances at Elyan. "Have you and Merlin meet before that?"

Elyan shrugs. "I don't think so, why?"

"You just seemed to act like you knew each other or had meet before that is all." Percival answers.

Leon shakes his head. "Cenrid truly is a coward."

"Least Merlin was there to save the day," Gwaine grins. "I would hate to think what would have happened if he wasn't."

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As they escape, Morgana complains about her ankle and stops running, trying to buy some time so Morgause can catch up. But Arthur simply carries her, whilst Merlin can't help but smile in triumph. Back at their camp Gwen and Elyan are waiting, but they are attacked by two of Cenrid's men and Elyan proves he's not half bad with a sword. Back in Camelot Gwen gives Arthur two silk dresses, just in case his father asks and Arthur asks about Elyan.

Tristan shakes his head. "How you managed to get out of that was nothing short of a miracle on Merlin's part, anyone could have seen him caste that spell…. In all my time of smuggling, I've never known Cenrid to only have a couple of scouts guarding the local area, you were incredibly lucky."

Isolde smiled. "Least you all made it out alive."

Arthur nodes. "I had always wondered why Morgause's spell exploded like that…. I don't know how I'm going to thank Merlin for all he has done…. He's just done so much."

Percival grins. "You could always make Merlin court warlock."

"God no," Arthur exclaimed. "Imagine all the trouble he would get into or course…. He cause enough trouble as it is, imagine what he could do with magic!"

Gwaine laughs. "There would never be a boring day in the castle, that's for sure."

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The following morning everyone waits for Taliesin to appear. Arthur would never admit it but he was really enjoying watching all the things Merlin had done, even if it did damage his ego…. A lot. Most of the time he and Merlin had been on the same adventures, but from Merlin's point of view it seemed more thrilling, more dangerous, and even more deadly at times.

Arthur couldn't help but smile, even though Merlin had done so many things, made so many sacrifices, he was still Merlin. He had the power to destroy everything and everyone, yet that didn't change him…. He always tried to do the right thing, even if sometimes it wasn't the right thing at all.

He did what he thought was right and not many people would have the courage to do that, especially when it endangered their own life. He was the most selfless person Arthur knew. He simply hoped Merlin would never change. Merlin had a good heart and a kind soul.

Gwaine grinned. "So have you decided to make Merlin court warlock yet?"

Arthur smiled slightly. "I have to lift the ban on magic first…. And it make take a while to convince the council, I know it will take longer for the people to except magic back."

"Why?" Isolde asks. "I would have thought the people would accept it. Many of your people remember the time before the great purge."

"Many I have no doubt do," Arthur answers. "But the people have suffers nothing but pain and terror at the hands of magic since my father outlawed it. Of course I know they help the druids if they can and seek out those with healing magic in times of great need…. But the fear is still there, it will take time until it fades completely."

Gwen nodes. "I know many who still have nightmares from the first time Morgana took of the city with Morgause, they watched friends and family die when Morgana turned on the people."

"But the servants all seemed to take Merlin's side," Tristan speaks up. "When you council called for Merlin's death, pretty much all of them sent glares at the councilman…. If looks could kill, you wouldn't have a council left."

Gaius smiled. "Merlin befriends people easily, I would be surprised if there was any servants Merlin didn't know. The same in the lower town, Merlin has helped heal many people as well as running errands for me. I believe everyone cares for Merlin, as much as they care for you, Arthur."

Arthur sighed. "But it will still take time."

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In a time of myth and a land of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy his name…. Merlin.

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The adventure starts with a women arriving in Camelot on a horse drawn cart. She unpack her things in a small house. Out of her last bag she pulls a medium sized box, setting it down on the table, she carefully opens it. Muttering a spell, a strange creature appears out the box. It jumps onto her lap and she speaks to it. Meanwhile in the court room, Uthur is informing Gaius, he fears someone is using magic to heal people.

"Who is she?" Isolde asks. "She said they were home now, so she must have lived in the city."

Gaius smiles. "That was Alice."

"Your love." Isolde smiles.

"What was the creature?" Leon asks.

"A Manticore," Gaius answers. "It is a creature of myth…. Well was believed to be."

Arthur shakes his head. "He would use magic to save Morgana…. But would hunt it down if it was used to cure anyone else…."

And so Gaius and Merlin set out to the tavern in the lower town to see if the keeper had been healed with magic, as they walk Merlin talks about Uthur being a hypocrite and Gaius warns him to keep his voice down. As they enter the tavern, Merlin notices a crystal charm hanging in the door way, it has the marks of the old religion on it. The inn keeper explains how he was cured, after Gaius asks. Later Gaius lies to the king, much to the surprise of Merlin, about the cure being non-magic. He claimed it was simply the use of herbs. Later Gaius tries to convince Merlin it was not the use of magic.

Leon shakes his head. "Merlin needs to keep his voice down, if anyone had heard him speak like that he would have been killed for treason."

"People accept healing magic," Isolde smiles. "I doubt it will take them long to accept other forms of magic."

Arthur sighs. "Then it is simply the council I must convince."

"You lied to the king?" Elyan asked, shocked.

Gaius looks slightly sheepish. "Sometimes it is best that the king does not know about all things concerning magic."

Gwaine grinned. "I think trying to tell Merlin something is not magical, when it clearly is, is a task doomed to failure."

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Later that night Merlin is woken up by a loud noise, after having fallen asleep whilst reading his magic book. Walking down into the main chamber, he watches as Gaius leaves and follows him. After following him, Merlin watches as Gaius and Alice greet each other, before being forced to run when some guards approach. Inside Alice's house, she and Gaius talk. After Gaius leaves, the Manticore appears and tells Alice, they have to use Gaius if they want to kill the king. Meanwhile Gaius is reading through old letters Alice had sent him.

Gwen smiles at Gaius. "She was the women Merlin saved wasn't she?"

Gaius nodes. "She is."

"You two could have got in a lot of trouble walking through the lower town at that time of night." Leon mutters. "You're lucky the guards have never caught you."

Gaius sighs. "The guards who patrol the lower town follow a pattern, once you know the pattern they are easy to get past."

Elyan glances at him. "Why would you need to know it?"

"Merlin and I," Gaius answers. "Sometimes have to find and destroy creatures of magic or go into forbidden part of the castle. If no one sees us, less questions get asked and we can keep Uthur from hunting down sorcerers who may not be in the city."

"Why would the Manticore want to kill Uthur?" Gwaine asks. "If everyone believed they were creatures of myth, Uthur wouldn't have hunted them down."

The following morning Merlin questions Gaius where he went the following night. Gaius was quite annoyed that Merlin followed him. So the two of them sit down and talk about Alice, Gaius tells him how they were to be married and when the great purge started and Alice was forced to flee. After Gaius and Merlin finish talking, Gaius goes to see Alice and they talk about their time together and what they learnt.

Gaius smiles sadly as he watches himself and Merlin speak about Alice. He remembered crossing Alice's name off that list, he had so nearly been caught doing it.

"You were to be married?" Leon asks in shock.

Gaius nodes. "We were…. Never before in my life had I met someone like Alice."

Arthur glances at Gaius. "Once the ban on magic has been lifted, she may return to Camelot."

Elsewhere Arthur is training with Merlin, well Arthur beats the life out a shield while Merlin hides behind it. Arthur also forces Merlin to hold a hoop above his head, while he has to try and get it with his lance. Upon returning to Gaius's chambers, Merlin is informed Alice will be staying with them. Later that night Merlin wakes up and hears voices coming from Alice's room, he watches through the doors as Alice takes some venom from the Manticore's tail.

Gwen glares at Arthur. "You need to stop forcing Merlin to train with you, you have knights to train with."

"He was my servant," Arthur replies. "It was his job."

"No," Gwen replies. "It was the knights' job to train with you."

"There weren't any knights." Arthur replies.

Gwen simply glared at him, they both knew that was a lie.

Gaius watches as Merlin sees Alice with the Manticore, he hadn't believed Merlin, he simply thought Merlin had lied because he was jealous…. Something he knew Merlin would never do, he always put other people happiness first.

"Least Merlin knows Alice is planning something." Elyan mutters.

"Yeah," Percival replies. "But I think the Manticore is forcing her to do it."

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The following day, whilst at the market with Gaius, Merlin asks about Alice and what type of magic she practiced. He explains to Gaius what he saw a creature with the body of a lion and a tail of a scorpion…. A Manticore. Gaius doesn't believe him and when he shows Gaius the box it was in, but the box is empty. Knowing he's missed something he goes down to the library and starts looking for the creature.

"The creature," Gwaine asks. "Why wasn't it on the box?"

"It had to be to be summoned by magic," Gaius answers. "That's why it did not appear when Merlin opened the box."

Percival shakes his head. "That couldn't have been easy for Merlin, knowing something to be true and not being believed by the only person he can turn to."

Gaius sighs. "Sometimes love blinds you to a person true nature."

Meanwhile Gaius and Alice are making a potion, they comment on how it is just like old times. Meanwhile Geoffrey informs Merlin the Manticore is a creature of myth and there is no hope of ever seeing one. Gaius tells Alice the remedy they are making is for the king and once Gaius turns his back, Alice adds the Manticore's poison. At the same moment Merlin walks through the door, causing Alice to drop the poison and remedy.

"Merlin seems to be having a hard time with this one," Leon mutters. "Everyone is telling him, he imagined it and that it isn't real."

Elyan nodes. "Least he found out what it was."

Arthur breath's a sigh of relief as Alice drops the potion. "But Merlin still doesn't know she's planning on killing the king, does he?"

Later that night, Merlin sneaks back into the library, but knocks something over, waking Geoffrey up. He uses magic to make Geoffrey go back to sleep, he then spends most of the night looking through books. At long last he finds out about the box, the following morning he goes and tells Gaius. But Gaius doesn't believe him and accuses Merlin of not wanting him to be happy, much to Merlin's shock.

Everyone laughs as they watch Merlin use his magic to make Geoffrey go back to sleep.

Arthur shakes his head. "Really? That really worked?"

Gwaine grins. "It quite clearly worked, princess, we all watched it work."

Arthur glared at Gwaine, but before he could answer Tristan turns to Gaius, who was looking ashamed.

"You really accused Merlin of not wanting you to be happy?" Tristan asked. "He healed Morgana because he couldn't bear to see the pain it caused others!"

"I know Merlin would never do that," Gaius answers. "But I simply refused to believe Alice would practice any form of dark magic."

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Upon returning to his chambers, Gaius and Alice talk. Alice explains that Merlin is bound to be a bit hostile, he simply needed to get used to her being around. Whilst Gaius rests, Alice makes Uthur remedy and adds the Manticore poison. Meanwhile Merlin is being forced to train with Arthur…. again. Arthur notices there is something wrong with Merlin and threatens him with the lance and hoop if he doesn't tell him. Arthur then tries to cheer him up like he does with the knights, Merlin insults him and simply thinks he mad, after all how does being punched in the arm cheer you up?

Everyone shares worried glances as Alice makes the remedy for Uthur and adds the poison.

Isolde shakes her head. "What would you have done if say, you missed the target and hit Merlin? Or the spear went through the target?"

"I never miss," Arthur answers. "So there wouldn't be a problem."

"Everyone makes mistakes," Gaius answers. "You would be wise to remember that…. It would only take a slip of hand and it could have had deadly consequences."

"Hey!" Gwaine complains. "We're not thick."

Elyan nodes his agreement. "But to be fair, knights are supposed to be from noble families, so that doesn't quite cover me and Percival here…. So it's still up for debate."

Leon glares at Elyan. "I'm not thick."

"Yes but your head of the guards," Percival grins. "So you're not only a knight."

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" Leon asks. "The way Merlin has made our guards look, I can't say I'm proud to be the one in charge of them."

So Gaius takes the remedy to Uthur, who drinks it after toasting to his good health. Later on Alice and Gaius sit eating but Merlin's place is empty and then the alarm bell sounds. Elsewhere Merlin is sitting in the shadows of the court yard and is startled out of his trance like state as the alarm bell sounds. Not long after Arthur is trying to wake his father, as Gaius appears, Arthur tells him what he knows. After asking Arthur to seal off the kings chambers, Merlin appears, seconds after Merlin appears Uthur opens his eyes and they are pitch black.

Gwen jumps as Uthur suddenly opens his eyes and turns to look at Gaius and Merlin.

"What's wrong with his eyes?" She gasps.

"The Manticore's poison," Gaius explains. "The poison also allows the creature to control the person, if the person is given a small amount of it…. What the king was given was deadly."

Gaius finds the remedy bottle in Uthur's hand and sniffs it, working out there was poison in it. He then tells Arthur he is yet to work out what has caused the kings illness. But Arthur guesses he was poisoned. As Gaius and Merlin walk away, Merlin once again tries to tell Gaius it was Alice who did this. Gaius tells Merlin that his place is by Arthur's side, so Merlin return to Arthur. As Arthur goes through a list of things Uthur has had, the blame lies solely on Gaius. Merlin knows Gaius is going to get the blame, so he tells Arthur what he knows.

"You make the greatest sacrifices for the ones you love," Isolde smiles. "You would have given up anything for her, wouldn't you?"

Gaius nodes. "I have always loved Alice and I will never stop loving her."

Arthur glances at Gaius. "You would have let yourself be sentenced to death, wouldn't you? If Merlin hadn't said anything, you would have taken the blame."

"You do what you have to, to save the ones you love." Gaius smiled slightly.

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Alice tries to explain what the Manticore made her do, but the Manticore's control over her stops her. Before she can continue, Arthur arrives with some knights and arrests her for high treason. Merlin tells Gaius he had no choice, he had to choose between Alice and Gaius. Later while Arthur is questioning Alice, Merlin sees the hold the Manticore has on Alice and knows he has to do something.

"The Manticore had quite a lot of control over her, didn't it?" Gwaine mutters.

Elyan asks. "How strong was its magic?"

"Even Emrys, would have trouble fighting its control," Taliesin answers. "It was a creature of strong magic, the people of old lived in fear of it."

"So how was it destroyed?" Leon asks. "I take it, it was destroyed."

After finding Gaius with Uthur, they agree that Alice didn't want to do this. Merlin tells Gaius about the Manticore and this time Gaius believes him. Upon returning to the physicians' quarters, they set out to find a way to defeat the Manticore. They work out if they destroy the box it uses as a grate way, it will die. And so they release the Manticore, whilst it's attacking Merlin, Gaius uses magic to destroy the box.

Everyone watches in silence as Gaius and Merlin set out to destroy the box the Manticore uses as a portal. They all breathe a sigh of relief as the Manticore dies.

"For a moment there, Gaius," Percival mutters. "I didn't think you were going to be able to do it in time. Merlin almost got stung by that thing a couple of times."

Gaius chuckled. "For a moment I didn't think I had the strength to do it, but hearing the fear in Merlin's voice and knowing if I failed he'd die…. It gave me the strength to do it."

And so Uthur recovers…. And sentences Alice to death. Gaius tries to change his mind, but Uthur refuses to change the sentence. Gaius speaks with Alice in her cell and the two of them day good bye to each other and they tell each other they love each other and always will. The following day Merlin is woken up by the warning bell sounding and Gaius tells him maybe one of the prisoners escaped, to which Merlin mocks how 'secure' the dungeons are.

Gwen cries slightly as Alice told Gaius she never wants to leave him. "I hope, you and Alice can be together again soon, Gaius."

"I hope so too." Gaius replies.

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Hey hoped you liked that, the next chapter will be up soon. Just one question, is there any topics you would like to see Freya and Merlin talk about? Any topics you want them to discuss? If so leave any ideas you have in a review :)

Blessed be,

TreeOfLife1997