A/N: Oh my gosh. I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter. I really am... Please forgive me for this... I just have a lot going on right now... and I had no motivation to write this chapter.

Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate all of the feedback that I can get XD

Anyways. I hope you enjoy.

Warning: Violence...

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Chapter 12

The man looked up now, his eyes resting on Arthur's own, piercing him like a knife, sending cold shivers up his spine.

"Arthur Pendragon is dead. You are a tool, a pawn in the sorcerer's quest for power," the man spat. "We do not trust you! We do not trust magic! Camelot is corrupt, and for that we will make it fall!"

Merlin stepped into the center of the room, now fully in view. He walked closer to the prisoner until he was mere inches from him. "I will have you know that if I wanted the throne right now, I could very well take it by force," Merlin said, his voice loud and cold. "I don't want power. I don't want glory. I want what is best for Camelot, and that is having The Once and Future King on the throne. That man you see there is Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, son of Uther and Ygraine Pendragon."

The prisoner just stared defiantly into Merlin's eyes, unwavering. Merlin stepped back, going to Arthur.

"I did not bring you back for power," Merlin said, anger boiling beneath his skin.

"I know. This man is insane," Arthur whispered, pausing for a moment, looking back at the man crouched on the floor. "What am I supposed to do with him? He has committed treason..."

Merlin took a second to respond, distracted by the feeling of the prisoner's eyes boring into the back of his head. "I can ask Gaius to test his mental stability. If he proves to be insane, we shouldn't execute him, but..."

"But what?" Arthur pressed.

"I don't think he is insane. He looks to be in his right mind," Merlin said. "I'll have to look into some things and ask him some questions, but I think this is part of something bigger, something that you can't simply overlook..."

Arthur nodded. "I trust you." He stood from his throne, gesturing at the guards on either side of the prisoner to lift the man to his feet.

"Have him checked by Gaius for any mental or physical illnesses. I want to know everything I can, no matter how little or unimportant it seems," Arthur said.

The guards both nodded, leaving the room with the prisoner. Merlin slipped out after them, following to the physician's chambers. He wanted to ask some questions of his own.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What is your name?" Gaius asked, studying the man sitting in front of him closely. When silence greeted him, Gaius sighed. "We will find out either way. I could just get Merlin to cast a truth spell on you..."

"James," came the soft reply. the man was sitting in a small wooden chair, his foot tapping an unsteady rhythm on the stone floor.

Merlin stood at the corner of the room, back turned towards the prisoner, eyes fixed out the window. He clenched his fists tightly, taking a steadying breath.

There was something... off about all of this. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a strange feeling that something was brewing, something even bigger than before.

"Why did you try and kill the king?" Gaius asked James, watching as the prisoner tried to pick at the rope binding his wrists to the chair he sat in.

"That isn't the king," the man spat angrily. "That is simply an image conjured up by the sorcerer so he can get closer to the throne. I was simply trying to restore balance in the world."

Merlin slowly turned, his eyes landing on the prisoner. "That is King Arthur. You are delusional," Merlin said, his voice close to a snarl.

Gaius held up a hand, signaling the sorcerer to be silent. Merlin closed his mouth, his jaw clenching tightly. Everything in him screamed to kill this traitor, to end the turmoil that was only just beginning. But he kept himself in check.

"How many others are you working with?" Gaius asked the man.

"I work alone."

"He's lying," Merlin said immediately. Gaius nodded, still not looking directly at the raven haired man.

"Where is the meeting place of your allies?" Gaius asked, writing something down on the scrap of parchment on the table.

"I won't tell you," James responded. Gaius gave a look to Merlin, who simply nodded and stepped forwards.

"You will tell us, or I will make you," Merlin said. James glared at Merlin, his deep brown eyes sending lines of fire into the sorcerers skull.

Merlin raised his hand upwards, digging deep inside of his body. He felt the magic resist him for a moment, tugging at his fingertips and making his joints feel loose. After he had regained control, he sent a truth spell swirling towards the prisoner. Green fire enveloped his head, making him blink, his mouth working, as if trying to stop the words from springing to his lips.

"The tavern... tonight at midnight," he spat out after a few moments. "They are meeting at the tavern."

Merlin let the spell drop, leaning on the table for a moment. He then rushed from the room, leaving Gaius and the guards to deal with James.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Arthur!" Merlin called, entering the throne room. "We need to go to the tavern!"

The king stared at Merlin for a second. "Merlin... I realize that you enjoy alcohol, but we really don't have..."

"Hear me out, Arthur," Merlin responded. "The prisoner... James... told me that was where he was supposed to meet his allies... The tavern at midnight, tonight! We could figure out what all of this talk is about... what their plans are next... stuff like that." Merlin was speaking quickly, and he had to resist the urge to wave his arms about his head like a lunatic.

"Alright," Arthur said, running a hand through his tussled blonde hair. "But... I can't go looking like the king. We need disguises."

"My magic can help with that..." Merlin said.

Arthur gave the sorcerer a horrified look. "I'm trusting you to turn me into a simpleton and then turn me back?" The king gave a little lopsided grin, but Merlin nodded seriously.

"Well then... Meet me in my quarters at nightfall," Arthur said, standing up. "I'm going to go get some rest."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Are you kidding me?" Arthur shouted.

Merlin was doubled up, clutching his stomach, laughter making his knees weak. "You... you look great, sire!" he gasped, leaning against the table so he wouldn't fall over.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur said with a glare in the sorcerer's direction. He had to look up at the man, his body shorter and fatter than normal. He had long, black hair and fat pudgy sausage fingers.

Merlin also looked different, his face older, but his brown hair thicker, falling over his eyes and giving him a handsome, slightly devilish appearance.

"Why couldn't I look more...?" Arthur asked.

"We couldn't both be handsome, Arthur! It might raise suspicion," Merlin said, grinning. "Come on, lets go!"

The left the castle through the servants exit, Merlin leading the way through the city and down the darkened streets. It was several minutes before they reached the tavern. Sweat was trickling uncomfortably down Arthur's back, and he resisted the urge to wipe it off, his pudgy hand instead reaching for the door and swinging it open.

The tavern was loud with laughter, people crowding the small space. The room glowed orange, the fire in the hearth casting a warm glow. A man with a stringed instrument stood in the corner, plucking away, his fingers tapping lightly over the fingerboard.

Arthur gave Merlin a glare as he pushed through the crowd, his bulk making it hard to move to the empty table in the corner. Merlin just grinned, following Arthur's lead.

A man came over to where they sat, his face stone cold. His hair was pale blonde, almost white, pulled back in a ponytail. "Are you here for the meeting?" he asked. Merlin just nodded, giving a small smile.

"Good..." the man mumbled and then walked away, heading to the front of the room. He clapped his hands above his head, the room slowly going silent. Someone shifted. Another person coughed. Then, nothing. No one dared move, no one said a word.

"We will start off this meeting with a bit of bad news. James has been captured and the impostor king remains alive. That, however will soon not be the case," the blonde man said. Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the back of his neck feeling prickly.

"But we have a new plan, a plan that will succeed," the man continued. "In order to get to King Arthur, in order to remove that impostor from the throne, we must remove his right hand. We must remove the sorcerer Emrys!"

Noise erupted in the room. Merlin felt his blood run cold.

TBC