(Author's Note: Still own nothing. So time for Merlin to deeply intrude on Arthur's privacy! Yay!)

Part 4 Inside The Princes Mind

Merlin stopped, hovering in midair. He knew only seconds had passed yet he was at least a day's ride away from the fortress. He had followed the bright gold trail to this spot. The sun was setting and he saw smoke rising from the trees. He dove toward it. There he was. Arthur sat below a tree, a small fire was lit in front of him and the two horses were tethered nearby.

Hope welled inside his chest; Arthur wasn't heading back to Camelot. Then the hope flickered away, Arthur would remember his mission to defeat Nimueh, of course they hadn't known that it was Nimueh. Merlin doubted that Uther would have sent Arthur by himself, or even at all, if he had known. Swooping low over the sleeping Prince Merlin looked him over. He looked completely unharmed, but Merlin knew that his memory was damaged.

He took a deep breath and followed the instructions that seemed to be whispered in his ear. He placed his hand, which was translucent and glowing slightly, on Arthur's forehead and concentrated. He felt himself sinking into the Princes mind but didn't fight it. This was how it was supposed to work. He sank into the Princes thoughts and opened his eyes. He was inside Arthur's dream.

The citadel was under attack, This wasn't just a dream, but a nightmarish memory. This was when Sigan had attacked Camelot. Arthur had been trapped outside the citadel alone. Merlin couldn't watch this again. He had just managed to save him but the experience of being forcibly taken over by someone else was not something he would like to repeat.

He wondered briefly if that was what he was doing to Arthur. But no, he realized it wasn't the same. Sigan had wanted to control Merlin; Merlin was trying to help Arthur. He suddenly found himself face to face with a door. A door that wasn't connected to anything, a door hanging in mid air. He knew this was where he needed to be. He reached out and tried to open the door. It was locked. He somehow knew Arthur couldn't see him.

"Axspringhenge." He whispered and the lock clicked. He opened the door and floated through it. He was in a corridor, much like one that would be in the citadel. But there were pictures on the doors, there were so many doors. Some had faces on them, Uther, Gwen, Morgana and various others Merlin searched for the door that should have his image on it. These rooms stored memories of different people, that was obvious.

However the door he was looking for seemed to not exist at all. That couldn't be right. The dragon had said that Arthur still remembered him in his soul. Merlin realized what he would have to do. He had to go far deeper into Arthurs mind than he had ever wanted to go. He zipped off down the hall into the deep darkness that hid Arthur's deepest secrets. He didn't look. There would be evidence of tampering where he was needed.

He couldn't help catching glimpses though. Images of Gwen and Arthur kissing. No time to stop and watch. Arthur didn't have many secrets, but one caught Merlin's attention. It was an old dusty door, but from behind it came screaming and crying. He wanted to know what was behind the door but couldn't bring himself to open it. That wasn't Arthur screaming, was it? He had to know. But he couldn't open the door, for somehow he knew that if he did it would bring this memory to the surface. So acting on instinct he took a deep breath and stuck his head through the door.

He watched careful not to slip all the way through the door. He was watching the courtyard from the balcony of the citadel. A very young Arthur, no more than five if he had to guess, stood in front of him. Someone, a small someone was being lead to an unlit pyre in the middle of the square. Merlin immediately knew what was happening. He was watching an execution. The execution of a child. He saw Arthur's face then, silent tears were sliding down it. He felt what Arthur had felt. Fear, sadness, and loss. He had known this little boy. The boy was being tied to the pole in the middle of the pyre. The boy was screaming, begging and pleading. Yelling that he was innocent, he didn't do anything wrong.

Suddenly Merlin knew what Arthur knew. This boy didn't have magic, but his father had. This boy was being executed because of his father. Arthur had thought of this boy as a friend. As the pyre was lit Merlin felt Arthur make up his mind to never trust anyone again.

Merlin pulled his head out of the door feeling sick. He sat down and put his head between his knees. It took him a moment to gather himself. Tears streamed from his eyes. Tears for the boy, tears for Arthur, and tears for what might be. That could easily be him. Far too easily. He found his courage and stood. He heard what sounded like a struggle down the hall and zipped off. Then he found it. The door with his face on it. Blocked by chains and a gate. A slightly transparent figure of Arthur was trying to get into the door. He was unarmed and could do nothing more than shake the gate. Merlin held back for a moment, unsure of if Arthur could see him or not.

Then he saw translucent tears running down Arthurs face.

"Who are you?! Why can't I remember you?" He was talking to the door. Merlin looked over his shoulder and saw that the door was open a crack but the gate blocked the memories from escaping. There was a shadowed figure standing just behind the gate. Merlin saw himself, from just that day. Held captive by Nimueh the knife pressed to his throat. Arthur's tears fell as the blood dripped down the phantom Merlin's neck.

Merlin couldn't stand seeing Arthur like this. He stepped around him and Arthur didn't react. He couldn't see him. Merlin put his hand on the gate and the bars began to dissolve under his hands. His magic was melting Nimueh's away. He pushed harder and Arthur yelled with triumph as the chain broke. The real Merlin stepped back as the memories began to slowly stream out of the room. Arthur, for it must be truly him, rushed forward and yanked the gate open. The hinges broke and the gate vanished. He swung the door open and the memories flooded out.

Merlin knew his job was done. He felt his own mind tugging, calling him back urgently. He knew something was wrong. He called out to Arthur.

"Help me please!" Arthur whirled as Merlin was pulled out of his mind and back into his own. Pain hit him like a war hammer. He coughed and felt warm liquid in his mouth, coppery and disgusting. He spat and opened his eyes. Blood. Wonderful. His ribs hurt like hell. Some of them were definitely broken. He blinked and felt the bruises and cuts on his chest.

He was still in the cell and Nimueh was standing above him her face a mask of furry and frustration.

"Where did you go!?" He smiled. She knew that he had left. Of course now that he was back she could hurt him, and get a reaction. He had to spit blood again before answering.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His smile betrayed him though. She swept her hand across the air in front of his chest. Pain filled his chest. He gasped and coughed. More blood, how much damage had she done while he was gone? That didn't matter. She wouldn't kill Arthur, she had proven that already. But he knew she might kill him. She had tried already after all.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You left! Who helped you!? You had to have help. Tell me!" Her magic struck him again and he screamed. He was edging on unconsciousness. He smiled again.

"Ha. You lose Nimueh." He spat blood and passed out again. This time there was no dragon, no Arthur, just darkness.