Agravaine tapped on the desk impatiently. He raised his head toward Hengist and saw he looked just as he had one hour ago; his hands behind his back, head down and body stock still. To say that Agravaine wasn't pleased with the outcome of the maid's kidnapping two months ago would be an understatement. Hengist knew that now.
Despite his incompetence, Hengist was still useful to Agravaine. He was a smart, calculative and conniving henchman. The fool would live a little longer but now he needed another approach to resolve the vigilante problem.
A swirl of wind appeared in front of him. Agravaine barely paid heed to the blonde beauty who stepped gracefully from mystical winds. He savoured his goblet of blood-red wine.
"There had better be a good reason for my presence here Agravaine." Her silky tone was music to his ears. When he sat on the throne she would be his Queen.
"Ah Morgause, don't you look beautiful this eve," he smiled. Morgause did know how to dress when on business; she had been taught by the best.
She always wore seductive red. Her dress splayed out around her, her arms covered by a light, see-through material. Agravaine thought of how he'd take her harshly and roughly. Morgause would take it, he'd make her.
"Get to the point, Agravaine. I do not want to be here very long," she replied.
"All business no pleasure, Morgause, how very unsporting," he teased. He tried to ignore her obvious disgust at his actions. If he were on the throne she would jump at the chance to be Queen.
"I take no pleasure in being in the same kingdom as you, let alone the same room. Now get on with it." Agravaine stood and sauntered around to the front of his desk.
"Leave us, Hengist," he ordered. Hengist complied and the only sound heard was the door clicking shut. Agravaine turned back to Morgause "Have you heard of the Cloak?" he asked her.
"Of course, every kingdom has heard rumour of the vigilante duo, though many believe them to be just that, a rumour. I hear he is bad for business, hmm?" she smirked. "What would the mistress think of your failure?" Morgause laughed.
"I will not fail. If I do then you won't have done your job." Agravaine stood at his full height and despite how he towered over her she wasn't the least bit fazed.
"What is my job, Agravaine?" Morgause snapped.
"Why it is simple, my dear Morgause. You must kill him."
"He is a user of magic. I hear he is also quite powerful; his ability to teleport so quickly with so little space in-between is extraordinary in itself." She moved past him and looked out onto the window down onto the courtyard. "It would be quite difficult to capture such a man."
"What do you want in return?" Agravaine huffed.
"No interference. Let me do what I think is best and how I think it best to be done." Morgause turned to him; she stared straight into his eyes as if daring him to decline her.
"Of course, my dear." He walked over to the decanter and began pouring himself another goblet of wine. "Would you like some, Morgause?" He turned to see the window open and the beautiful woman gone. "Next time young witch, when I am king." The lord chuckled darkly to himself as he took a sip of wine from his goblet.
Merlin knew he'd be coming soon, he'd be angry for sure. This would be the sixth time Merlin had done it and he doubted that he could do it for much longer. But he couldn't let what happened two months ago happen again.
"Seriously, Merlin? This is the sixth time you've put me to sleep!" Lancelot stormed into the physicians chambers.
"I've told you before that it's for your own good. Last night's mission was too dangerous for you. I had to go alone," Merlin replied calmly.
"Too dangerous? Before Hengist we did those jobs together all the time and came out unscathed most of the time. I'm fine. Yes I was stabbed but so were you and I don't see you hanging up the cloak." Lancelot gripped the table until his knuckles turned white.
"But I have magic-"
"That doesn't matter, Merlin. So what? I want to be out there helping people no matter what; it is my life to give, not yours," Lancelot reasoned.
"No, Lancelot! You were hurt, Gwen was hurt, and Morgana and Arthur were hurt. I can't let that happen again. It was my fault!" Merlin raised his voice in an attempt to get Lancelot to back down.
"It wasn't your fault! I chose to become Knight Blade, Gwen chose to help you and Morgana and Arthur chose to help save Gwen." They were face to face now and Merlin could feel Lancelot's anger resonating off of him. Ever since Merlin started to using spells to keep Lancelot away from helping him Lance had been a lot angrier than usual. But at least he wasn't dead.
"This conversation is over, Lance, and I've got duties to attend to." Merlin pushed past him and made for the door.
"You know what, Merlin?" Merlin stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "You speak of equality for those with magic but you need to realise that people without it are just as entitled to their own choices as you."
Merlin said nothing. He left the chambers and slammed the door behind him as he marched toward the Prince's chamber. Arthur needed to be dressed for the feast tonight celebrating Uther's day of birth. Unfortunately, in his anger, he missed the woman around the corner dressed in red. She smirked before disappearing.
Merlin dressed the Prince quickly and efficiently, which Arthur questioned. But he said nothing more than he wanted Arthur to be ready for his father's day of birth. Merlin just wanted to don his cloak.
Despite the rain, Merlin stood tall on his bell tower as he surveyed the town below completely unnoticed. His unruly hair clung to his forehead as droplets of rain fell onto his nose, causing him to twitch incessantly. The cloak stayed dry though as water ran off its surface and Merlin smiled at his ingenuity, having found that spell early on in his escapades.
The Cloak opened his senses using magic. His eye-sight magnified and he could easily see the regular trouble makers in the tavern. His hearing expanded as he heard the faint smashing of metal from the smithy. He could also smell the lavender that Gaius had probably prescribed to someone for their sleepless nights. He couldn't blame them.
It was relatively quiet tonight. It seemed the same most nights nowadays and Merlin liked to think that he and Lance accomplished that with Gwen's aid. Her masks helped immensely, it was just a shame things it turned out the way they did two months ago with both of his friends.
But something felt different tonight. The peace felt constructed and the quiet seemed man made. He brushed it off and decided to do a perimeter search. Merlin leapt from his place and landed onto the battlements with the aid of magic and ran. He ducked and dived past the not-so-vigilant guards and smiled as their heads whipped around just to miss the billow of his cloak.
He wondered, once this was all over, once Agravaine was put on trial and behind bars, once his criminal organisation was destroyed, could he ever really give up being the Cloak?
He frowned at his answer.
A whisper in the night reached his ears. Merlin's head snapped around and he thought saw blood and a pair of golden irises but looked again and saw nothing.
"I must be losing it," he whispered to himself as his gaze travelled to the castle. If it was quiet then he could turn in since there was nothing to do. He may even try to patch things up with Gwen and Lance. They were his two closest friends after all and he had no intention of losing that…
Although on second thought, what did he owe them?
Merlin's fists clenched suddenly and his eyes hardened unexpectedly, even to himself, but he found himself liking this new feeling. This new anger felt good. The Cloak smirked as he disappeared in the night, eyes blood red. But it was Morgause who held the true smirk as her eyes glowed a dark gold.
The celebration was in full swing. Nobles danced along the floor with grace instilled in them since birth. The King sat with an absent expression on his face and seemed to look through the celebratory smiles. The Prince and Princess sat on their thrones either side of the King while Gwen and Lance chatted idly when Gwen didn't have to serve.
"Have you seen Merlin today, Lance?" Gwen pondered.
"Yes." He said snappily.
"He did it again, didn't he?" Gwen stared at him knowingly and Lance nodded angrily. "He's just trying to protect us; he thinks he's doing the right thing." Gwen defended him.
"I know, but that's what's so frustrating. You can't talk someone out of doing something they believe to be right for everyone. It just doesn't work." Lancelot huffed.
"Well, you'll have to think of a way to make him see what he's doing is wrong. At least someone will have to." They stood in thoughtful silence while the party carried on around them.
"Why don't we have a dance to take our minds off Merlin?" Lancelot suggested.
"But I'm serving tonight; I can't just drop everything and dance with you," Gwen protested as Lancelot took her tray of goblets and sat it on the table.
"Of course you can, every princess has to dance at the ball." The comment made her blush as Lancelot led her to the middle of the floor. The couple had no care for the disgusted looks of the nobles. They knew they were close with the prince and princess they couldn't be stopped.
"But I'm not a princess." Lancelot looked at her with a gaze that Merlin never had when they were together- or whatever they had been- and it pulled her in like a sweet-scented flower.
They swayed to the music and he spun her while stepping across the floor to the beat.
"Of course you are," he replied.
Gwen had never really paid much attention to Lance before. She'd been head over heels for Merlin since he'd arrived in the throne room nine months ago. But now Lance just shone - his kindness, his honour, his gentlemanliness, and his handsomeness spoke to her on so many levels.
They both leaned in slightly, breathed each other's breath, smelled each other's smell and were about to close the gap when every single candle went out in a torrent of wind.
Gwen knew it must be Merlin.
Were they all in trouble?
"Hello everyone!" The Cloak bellowed in a maliciously amused tone. Luckily, Merlin used the spell that warped his voice. They had found it a few months ago after a young girl had thought the Cloak and Merlin sounded very similar. "Why wasn't I invited to the party?" A goblet of wine glided into his hands as he walked past the very cautious knights of Camelot.
"Something's wrong," Gwen whispered to Lancelot who took the hint and left to become his alter ego.
"You know, I spend all of my time saving this God-forsaken city and not once have I been thanked, not once." He chuckled darkly which reminded her a little too much of Hengist. "The people of the lower town are grateful but you lot, you just want me dead. Well here I am - take your best shot."
"Oh no," Gwen whispered. Merlin turned to her and she could see his eyes aglow with red fury.
"Seize him!" Agravaine shouted. At once all the knights tried to strike him but they weren't prepared for the power that Merlin unleashed on them.
"Ástríce" he shouted. A shock wave of power emanated from him as everyone was fle backwards and the windows were shattered into nothing but small particles, like the sand they originated from.
Gwen hit a bench but shakily stood up to see the chandelier ready to crash down on top of her; she covered herself with her hands in reflex.
All of a sudden, she was pushed out of the way and felt herself crash to the floor. She turned just in time to see the chandelier smash on the ground where she once stood. She looked up at her saviour and smiled knowingly as she saw Lancelot through his helmet.
"Ah, well isn't it my old friend, Knight Blade," Merlin cackled, his eyes still fiery red.
"He's enchanted," Gwen shouted at Lance who nodded in agreement. He then looked at Gaius who was just recovering from the power of the shock wave with the help of Arthur and Morgana.
Arthur had no idea what was happening. There he was, at the party- servantless as usual- trying to enjoy himself despite the treachery that stood only a few feet from him.
Agravaine, a traitor. He just couldn't comprehend how or why such things could happen. What had happened to him? Was it magic? It didn't matter but now Arthur knew and so did Morgana, Merlin and Gwen. Agravaine had tried to have them killed and magic had saved them.
Now, the Cloak, whom Morgana, Merlin and Gwen had been convincing him was good, had unleashed more power than he had ever seen… on them! Honestly, ever since Merlin had arrived almost a year ago, his thoughts had whirled out of control. Was magic good? Was it bad? Was it neither? Who knew? Not him, that's for sure and if there's one thing Arthur does not like aside from the tardiness of his servant, it was not knowing.
"Arthur...Arthur! Arthur are you listening to me?" The Prince suddenly came out of his thoughts to see his sister shouting in his face.
"No, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" Arthur looked over to the Cloak who was shouting at Knight Blade. He'd just joined him and seemed to be trying to calm him down. He also thought he heard Gwen and something about enchantments but he'd been recovering from being thrown twenty feet into the wall behind him.
"You need to go to my chambers." Gaius's breathing was ragged. He was lucky; he hadn't been thrown as far as some of the others. "The Cloak is enchanted, I know it."
"How can you be sure?" Arthur protested. "What if these are his true colours?" Gaius looked at him and Arthur slotted all the pieces into place like a jigsaw. "You know who he is, don't you?"
"Yes, but that doesn't matter and no I'm not going to tell you who he is but I will tell you this. He is a good person; he has kept the streets clean for just over nine months now. It is your uncle he must defeat but Agravaine has clearly hired someone to enchant the Cloak," Gaius explained.
"AHHHHHH!" The Prince and Princess turned to see Knight Blade launched across the room.
Merlin's fists clenched and he burnt the benches to cinders instantaneously with a simple sweep of his arm. "See the power that I bear when I have anger fuelling me instead of sickening love and kindness?"
"But it's love and kindness which makes you the Cloak. Listen to me - we have fought together for a long time, almost seven months and there isn't anyone I'd rather fight with. But not like this. Not while your heart is filled with hate." Lancelot rushed at him while Merlin took out his staff, ready to block.
Instead of striking, Lancelot surprised him by sliding beneath him and punching the back of his leg. Merlin went down while Lancelot scrambled to his feet and went to knock him out. He wasn't fast enough as Merlin came around and whacked his side with his staff. Lancelot had no choice but to fight him with his sword as well. He needed to buy time for the Prince and Princess.
Arthur and Morgana burst into the physician's chambers. Morgana listed off the ingredients that Gaius had told them to get. He had never even heard of a physician having such concoctions but Gaius was one of a kind.
"Have we got everything?" Morgana asked frantically.
"I think so."
"Okay, you grind up the toad and I'll get some water on the boil and prepare the rest of the ingredients for mixing," Morgana ordered. Arthur wasn't going to argue with her; they were on the clock and his people were in danger.
Merlin and Lance clashed, blocking and striking, both switching from offense to defence. Lancelot was starting to feel the exhaustion while Merlin hadn't tired one bit. Lancelot knew he was using his magic to fuel him and unfortunately Lancelot could not do the same.
"Please! Stop this madness. Can't you see that you aren't yourself?" Lancelot tried to plead one more time. Arthur and Morgana had not arrived yet.
"I have never felt better, actually. I feel stronger, faster and with more magic than the gods themselves," Merlin cackled. Lance had had about enough of that for one day.
"Hey! Over here," Arthur yelled. He ran up behind the Cloak and jabbed a needle into his neck. But Merlin threw Arthur off of his back, and he went flying into Morgana who'd just come around the corner.
"You think you could stop me with a needle, how wrong you…" The Cloak stumbled. "How wrong – you – were…" The Cloak fell to the ground and Knight Blade quickly grabbed him. His eyes changed from red to their normal shade and his bright smile returned.
"What's going on?" he asked drowsily.
"No time, teleport us out of here now." Merlin heard the urgency in his voice and wasted no moretime.
"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!" They disappeared in a swirl of magical winds with nothing but shouting royals behind them.
When they landed inside of the physician's chambers, Merlin went limp in his arms. Lancelot knew that so much magic being used in such a short space had exhausted him.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Lancelot spun around, sword held tight, coming face to face with a blonde woman. She was fairly tall and rather slim – much like Morgana and her dress was red, just like the colour of Merlin's enchanted eyes.
"Who are you?" Lancelot demanded as he raised the sword to her throat.
"I am Morgause. I was sent by Agravaine to kill Merlin over there." She gestured to the sleeping warlock, uncaring of the sword inches from her neck.
"Over my dead body. I will not let you harm him," Lancelot defended. He brought himself to his full height to tower over her but somehow her smirk only made him feel smaller.
"Despite how thrilling it would be to end your life, the mistress tells me she wants the boy alive so I won't kill him or you." Morgause moved out of the way of the sword toward Merlin.
"Don't touch him!" Lancelot warned. He was ignored as she traced a finger down his sharp cheekbones.
"Rather handsome, isn't he?" Morgause complimented. "Remember my clemency Merlin; I may need a favour from you yet."
"Who is the 'mistress' Morgause?" Lancelot asked.
"You will know soon enough." With a few mumbled words she was gone leaving a confused Lancelot behind.
"Oh Merlin. I thought Agravaine alone was bad but if he's got more friends in low places then I fear for Camelot." Lancelot dropped his sword and sat on the floor next to Merlin's bed.
"We'll beat 'em," he heard Merlin whisper back.
"Too right we will." Lance patted his shoulder before leaving to take off his armour in Merlin's room.
When Lancelot re-entered the main chambers he gazed over at Merlin and noticed that he had drifted off to sleep. The amount of magic he used tonight was more than he had ever used since donning the Cloak. In that moment, Gwen and Gaius entered the room.
"We could just about slip away," Gwen began. "But it's a riot in there."
"Why? What are they saying?" Lancelot asked.
"Despite the clear evidence that I showed during Merlin's attack that he was enchanted and both Prince and Princess being convinced-"
"Morgana managed to convince Arthur completely, of course," Gwen added.
"-the Cloak is now a number one priority; all the guards in the castle are looking for him," Gaius exclaimed.
"By whose order? What do we do?" Lancelot questioned.
"Agravaine's," Gaius replied.
"Guess he's not too happy with Morgause then." Lancelot chuckled. That earned him a quizzical stare from the physician and maid. "I'll explain once we've dealt with Merlin."
"We need to get him out and fast. I've heard they are going to lock down the castle and do a full sweep, which could take up to two weeks. King Uther has only ever called for something like this once before." Gaius turned away toward Merlin with a grim look on his face.
"When?" Lancelot asked slightly intrigued by this rare occurrence.
"It doesn't matter; we need to send him somewhere and fast." Gaius toddled over to Merlin and bent down beside him. "My boy, you need to wake up." He shook the servant a little until Merlin stirred from his slumber.
"Gaius I don't want to serve Arthur right now, he's a prat," Merlin managed to mumble; the other three in the room chuckled a little between them.
"You need to leave Camelot for a couple of weeks, Merlin." That woke him up. Questions streamed out of him like a torrent of water; they could barely get a word in edge wise until they managed to shout at him to calm down.
"But why do I have to leave? I like it here!" Merlin looked frantic and horribly distraught. "I'll give up being the Cloak if you let me stay!"
"Merlin you're coming back!" Gaius snapped at him obviously tired from the boy's yammering. "They're doing a full sweep of the castle and the citadel and you need to get out of here to put you as far away from Agravaine as possible. He knows that you're getting help from Lancelot and Gwen so Lance will have to go with you."
"What about me?" Guinevere asked. Gaius knew she could not join them so she needed a different kind of protection.
"You need to tell Morgana and make sure you are with her at all times." At their shocked faces he clarified further. "I mean you need to tell her that Agravaine will look for you because he knows you're associated with the Cloak, not who he is or anything more than that."
"But where will we go, Gaius?" Lancelot asked, already packing spare clothes for Merlin and taking the spare clothes he kept in Merlin's room out and into another bag.
"Gaius?" Suddenly, Arthur and Morgana barged in only leaving enough time for Lancelot to hide the bag and Merlin to cover his face. Gaius, Lance and Gwen traded looks as they tried to come up with an excuse to why the Cloak was laying in Gaius's bed.
"Sire, I implore you to be patient with your judgement of us." Gaius spoke diplomatically in an attempt to stop Arthur from stabbing Merlin – not that he knew it was Merlin.
"Patience?" Arthur started. "You expect me to be patient with my judgment when I catch all three of you harbouring a sorcerer that just caused mayhem?"
"I did what?" A warped deep voice called out. They turned to see Merlin in his cloak obscuring his face but Lance could tell he was angry he wasn't told sooner.
"We were going to tell you but we had to get you out first!" Lancelot pleaded with him. They couldn't cause a ruckus right now - the entire citadel was about to be searched.
"I had a right to know that I hurt people!" he shouted and outside thunder sounded and lightening shot the ground.
"Don't pretend like you didn't know!" Arthur interjected raising a sword to the Cloak.
"Arthur, you know he didn't! We gave him the injection to stop the enchantment." Morgana moved in front of the sword.
"Get out of the way Morgana. I must apprehend him, for-"
"For whom Arthur? Our father? He is under Agravaine's enchantment. The uncle we thought we could trust with the King's affairs and instead has taken to kidnapping and God knows what." Morgana argued back, not at all fazed by the sword to her chest.
"That's it!" Gwen interjected.
"What is it, Gwen?" Everyone looked at her intrigued to know what she was thinking.
"People have been kidnapped, surely we can find those people and bring them home to their families, and give closure to the ones we cannot." It was a good plan; Merlin pondered on it and decided it would be best if he tried to track them down.
"It's settled then. I will leave immediately, contact Knight Blade, and tell him to come at once." Lancelot smiled and left immediately to grab his spare armour.
"Wait, you can't leave, I have you in my custody," Arthur objected.
"Shut up, Arthur." Morgana retorted. "In fact, pack your things; you're going with them." Everyone stood still in silence as the Princess of Camelot smiled at her idea.
"He is not coming," The Cloak instantly retorted. "He'll kill me in my sleep." Gaius and Gwen nodded in agreement.
"He won't kill you, if he actually wants to save his people. He will realise he needs you and Knight Blade and not kill you." Morgana stared at Arthur for what felt like forever until Arthur nodded and got up to pack his things. At the same time the Cloak whispered something to Gwen who quickly left. The Cloak himself teleported out of the chamber.
"Why did you say that to Arthur, Morgana?" Gaius asked curiously.
"Easy, Arthur needs to get to know the Cloak and Knight Blade. He has to realise they aren't evil and that magic is not evil either." Morgana smiled proudly.
"You are a smart girl, Morgana, very smart, just like your mother." They laughed and began to pack extra supplies for the three travelling buddies.