Disclaimer: I own a couple of boxsets, but that's all. Most of what you recognise below is property of the BBC
Hope you enjoy, as usual. :) Thank you to all who have reviewed so far - you know who you are. Also thank you to those who have favourited and/or alerted this - feel free to review, too; I'd love to hear what you think. :) And lastly thanks must go to pachysam who gave me the idea to include a certain character, which will appear in these next two chapters. Can you guess who it is?":P
Ten
"Right," the Doctor took control of the situation. "We need to lay a trap for the Angels. I can track them down with this...my, uh, my metal wand," he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and Rose stifled a giggle.
"What are you going to do once you track them down?" Gwen said. "If you don't mind my asking, of course."
The Doctor grinned, "Excellent question, Guinevere," and the maid smiled, her cheeks a slight shade of pink. "One which will be answered when I get around to it."
"He usually makes these things up as he goes along," Rose explained, much to the disappointment of the four others.
"But I do it brilliantly," the Doctor reassured them and Rose barely restrained her eye-roll. The Doctor then asked Arthur about the layout of the castle as to gauge an idea of how to ambush them. Meanwhile, Merlin pulled Rose to the side to whisper to her.
"I can help," he told her. "I can use my... my magic to freeze these angels."
"Merlin..."
"If I can get close enough," he looked at her, a pleading look in his eyes.
"Merlin, we can't risk it. We can't risk you," Rose replied quickly and the warlock frowned.
"Why? I want to do this for Gaius," he insisted, looking determined
"I know, but there's no way the Doctor will allow it," Rose said, soothingly. "If you were sent back..."
"You're worried they will get me?"
"There are four of them, Merlin!"
"I am just as quick as them, Rose. I already know the spell; you just have to take me to them."
"What if Arthur and the others found out?"
Merlin sighed, "Maybe it's time they did..."
"But Merlin -"
"How else do you plan on getting them to look at each other?" Merlin cut her off, before meekly apologising for doing so. Rose frowned and looked over at the Doctor, who was explaining something, quite animatedly, to Morgana, Gwen and Arthur.
"I don't know," Rose admitted. But then she smiled, "I know the Doctor will think of something, though."
"What if he can't?"
"You doubt him?" Rose asked, surprised.
"No, I just... I just know I can help. Trust me."
Rose nodded slightly, before realising something and bursting into wide grin.
"What?" Merlin questioned confusedly.
"I'll get to see you do magic! The Merlin. Doing magic! Real magic," Rose exclaimed. "Oh, they'll never believe that back home."
"Back home?"
"But hold on..." Rose's grin slipped as she realised something further, conveniently ignoring Merlin's question. "Will you're magic work on the Weeping Angels?"
"You didn't answer... Oh... I don't know," Merlin said and he felt the tears well up again as he thought of something. "I wish Gaius was here. He'd know."
"Merlin, I know you're magic is strong," Rose remembered the Arthurian legend from back home.
"But is it strong enough?"
"I... if you believe it is, than it will be," Rose assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Merlin didn't reply. It looked to Rose as though he was thinking very hard about something. After nearly a minute, he turned back to Rose, looking her in the eye. "I know how to find out," and he smiled.
"How?"
"There is someone I want you to meet. You and the Doctor."
"Who?"
"We need to lose Gwen, Arthur and Morgana, though. They cannot find out," Merlin responded, evenly. "Any ideas?"
"If you'd tell me who or what you want us to meet," Rose countered, much harsher than she thought. "Sorry," she muttered as an afterthought.
"Tonight," Merlin told her. "I'll meet you tonight. Be ready in your chambers, when the clock strikes half past eight. I'll take you to him."
Rose nodded, before gesturing they rejoined the others.
* * *
Rose looked at the time on her mobile, which had automatically set itself to the correct time in Camelot.
8.17 PM
Exactly 13 minutes to go. She sighed and turned to the Doctor, who was seated in a chair, munching on a bunch of grapes and deep in thought. The rest of the day has passed without trouble. Rose and Merlin had rejoined the other three in their conversation as they all became involved in searching for the best place in the castle to lure the angels.
The Doctor returned to their own quarters while Rose had gone to borrow some more clothes off Gwen and Morgana. The latter, Rose discovered, had a bigger wardrobe than anyone she had ever met. Excluding the TARDIS' wardrobe, of course.
Returning to the Doctor, Rose told him of Merlin's plan and of their meeting tonight. Since then, he had gone into deep thought and Rose had not disturbed him, knowing better than to do so. Dinner had been brought up from the kitchens by Merlin, himself. He apologised, saying that the King was no dining with anyone tonight. At mention of this, the sorcerer looked painfully haunted, but then he winked and Rose knew it was still on for tonight and that everything would be ok. Hopefully.
There was a sudden knock at the door and the Doctor immediately jumped up and spun around to open it. Rose quickly looked at the time on her phone again.
8:27 PM
Putting it away as quickly as she had brought it out, Rose sighed, noticing how 10 minutes had passed so quickly.
"Merlin," the Doctor greeted.
"Doctor, Rose," Merlin replied evenly. "Are you ready?"
"Yup," the Doctor replied with a grin, no longer in his deep thinking mode, Rose noted.
The three of them, snuck out of the room and down the corridor. Merlin knew exactly where to go and how to avoid most of the guards. When they came to the dungeons and no clear way past the guards, Merlin turned to Rose.
"Ready to see some magic?" He smiled and without waiting for Rose to answer, he whispered the enchantment, just loud enough for them to hear, but so that the guards did not. "Mamera fullricene"
"Deep sleep now," the Doctor murmured the translation.
"You know the language?" Merlin asked in a hushed tone.
"Old English with just a hint of Welsh influence," the Doctor smiled. "Did I mention I'm a genius?"
Merlin suppressed a laugh, before turning to Rose. Her mouth had dropped, as the Guards did, now soundly asleep. "That was... incredible," she whispered in awe, while the Doctor rolled his eyes. Somehow Rose saw this and turned to him, "And I don't care that's it's not really magic or whatever. It's still amazing."
"I didn't say anything," the Doctor held his arms up in defence.
"Come on," Merlin interrupted them. "We can't waste time. The spell only lasts for an hour."
"Where are we going, exactly?" Rose asked.
"Under the castle. Deep into the bowels of Camelot," Merlin replied. "Not many people know what's down here," he continued, leading them through an unused doorway and down a long slight of steep stairs.
"Doctor," the telepathic voice sounded inside the Time Lord's head and he paused in his walking.
"Doctor?" Rose frowned.
"Welcome, Doctor," the voice greeted.
"It's... it's inside my head," the Doctor told them and Merlin smiled slightly.
"He has that effect on some people," the young warlock smiled and, at once, they knew Merlin had once heard the voice inside his own head.
"Who does?" Rose asked, feeling slightly left out. "Who's he?"
"I'll show you," Merlin replied.
And the three of them rounded the corner to reveal a large cave.