AN: hello...

I'm back. I also am very ellipse-y tonight. Don't know why. starwater13 has already learned this as I think there were more ellipses than physically possible in the last email I sent her. And speaking of starwater13, this chapter is also edited! YAY! nice thing is she gets my humor. I hope some of you do too...

But, anyhoo, sorry about the wait! Things still a bit confusing with this new beta stuff. We are perfecting the art. It will get better when god stops conspiring against us. Seriously, I'm pretty sure god hates me right now. It totally makes sense.

AND MERLIN SEASON FIVE IN THREE DAYS! ok, I'm excited. Like a lot. There are also three more days to give money to Eoin Macken and Tom Hopper's new movie Cold. You can get lots of cool stuff for supporting them! Plus, it's Gwaine and Percival. You know you want to. Just go to Indigogo . com and search for the movie Cold. It should be pretty obvious which one it is...

Hope people like this chapter! We are getting to the climax...

And I don't own Merlin. but in three days the real owners are finally giving us new stuff!

Chapter Sixteen: Last Night

Arthur was almost certain his father was going to kill him when he was pulled back to the throne room. Aredian would have told him everything by now. He had struggled against the men 'escorting' him but his efforts had been futile, one unarmed man against six armed ones was rather hopeless. Leon was already there when he arrived, looking rather confused and slightly concerned. Arthur wasn't brought before the throne for sentencing but over to his father's side, which surprised him slightly.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked, momentarily glancing over the king's shoulder at the smirking Aredian before looking back to his father.

"It's alright, my son." Uther said, gently patting him on the shoulder. "I know what the thief did to you, and I will fix this. You will be back to normal soon."

Arthur was completely confused as his father turned from him and addressed the crowd that had gathered, saying, "My loyal subjects, as you all know, Emrys is currently residing in our dungeons."

There was a small spattering of applause as Uther nodded and grinned. Arthur felt anger boil in his stomach as all these people who didn't know Merlin celebrated his downfall. They didn't know how good he was, how this should never be happening to him. The clapping finally died down and Uther continued. "Aredian has recently brought to my attention that Arthur is currently under the sorcerer's spell." The hall was deadly silent except for Arthur's indignant spluttering, not knowing what to say. "With this knowledge in mind I have decided to change the execution date. He will be burned at the stake, tomorrow at dawn."

"No." Arthur said, that couldn't be right. He needed more time. "NO!" He repeated, getting louder. "You can't kill him! You just can't!"

"Arthur," Uther said in a condescending tone, "I know you're confused, but soon everything will be back to normal. Emrys is evil. He's tricking you, meddling with your emotions. He's not even human."

"What?" Arthur said, trying to pull away from his father, but stopped by his 'escort' of guards.

Uther cleared his throat, and turned back to the people. "I have also discovered that he is the last of the race called Dragon Lords. I believed I had wiped them out, but I was wrong, he somehow escaped. He will die as he should have sixteen years ago. After he has gone, I will hold a celebration to remind the people that we are strong, and that we have conquered the greatest magical threat to the land since Nimueh and the high priestesses."

How could Uther know that? Merlin wouldn't have said anything under torture, Arthur was certain. Arthur glanced quickly over at Aredian, who looked completely confused as well, which didn't make any sense. How had the king learned who Merlin's father was? Apparently he wasn't the only confused one as Gaius asked, "But that's not possible, Sire. Balinor was the last."

"Balinor had a son." Uther growled, "I don't know how he escaped me, but it doesn't matter anymore. He will die just like his parents did, by fire."

Arthur couldn't believe what his father was saying. He sounded more cruel, more heartless than he had ever believed the man he had loved and respected could ever be. The entire court was silent, until a man in the back cheered in support. Almost everyone soon joined in, clapping or shouting their support for his father and Merlin's death. Arthur's knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, his guard not paying much attention to him in all the commotion. Arthur didn't know what to do. What if he couldn't get Merlin out soon enough? They only had one day, one day before Merlin was dead. Arthur was so lost to his own thoughts that he didn't even hear Uther dismiss him. He had to be dragged back to his chambers, his whole body felt numb. He couldn't lose Merlin. He had finally found someone, he couldn't have that taken away from him now, but what could he do? He had to get to that dragon, tonight, and pray Leon could find Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot. That was his only hope.

Uther collapsed back into his throne with a smile. Soon, all this madness would be over.

He wasn't sure how the boy had escaped his purge of Ealdor, but that didn't matter, he would die tomorrow, after having lived sixteen years too long. Things made a lot more sense now that he knew who the boy was. He was about to head back to his chambers when there was a cough behind him.

"Sire," Aredian said, sounding slightly confused, "I am not certain I will be able to extract the information you asked for if Emrys is to be put to death tomorrow. Are you certain the execution should be moved up?"

Uther rolled his eyes. Apparently, even with all his knowledge, the witchfinder did not understand the severity of this situation. The boy was a dragon lord for goodness' sake, he could not be permitted to live any longer. "I understand the consequences of my actions, Aredian. The boy must die, and soon. You may question him all you like before the execution, but I can delay no longer now that I know what he is. My deal still stands, you shall be paid for any extra information you can bring me, but Emrys has already lived much too long. This will be his last night on earth."

"Of course, Sire." Aredian said, "I shall be going then."

Uther just nodded as the man rushed out of the throne room. Uther hoped that Aredian's efforts would not be in vain, but a Druid camp was nothing compared to the last dragon lord. He couldn't give his allies time to rescue him. Uther sighed, sometimes sacrifices have to be made, he thought as he strode out of the throne room and back to his own chambers.

Merlin hated being cut off from his powers. He felt restless, even though he was too exhausted to move. Aredian knew exactly how to cause someone incredible pain without actually letting them die, that much was certain. He ached all over, but even with all his pain his mind was still focused on something else. What would Uther do now that he knew who he was? If he had destroyed an entire village just to kill Balinor, what would he do with Balinor's son? The longer he sat alone is his cell, the more unnerved he became. Every tiny noise was magnified by his own mind, imagining each sound to be the executioner, come down to end it.

But it couldn't end.

Not now that he knew Arthur still loved him.

He had a destiny! What would happen to Arthur if he wasn't there? Who would protect the Once and Future King if Emrys was gone? And who would love Arthur?

It was strange to think of Arthur with some faceless beauty, crowning her queen, moving on. It wasn't that he wanted Arthur to be alone, he just didn't want to lose the man he was destined to protect, the man he had willingly given his heart to.

He had searched for a way out, but there was nothing. The cell was completely bare, even the straw that had been in all the other cells he had passed had been removed. The shackles and collar were quite solid, and with nothing to break them he couldn't escape. He had attempted to summon his magic multiple times, but each spell he tried to cast had failed, only causing the burning sensation around his neck to flare up before fading back to the dull throbbing.

He was ashamed to admit how much he jumped when he heard a clattering sound from the stairs. It was no longer just his imagination playing tricks on him, the noises had been much to loud for that. He slowly pulled himself to a standing position, trying to look as proud as he could. Emrys wouldn't die as a coward. He felt his heart beat pick up as he thought that word. Die. This was it, and there was no way out. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes as the footsteps neared the door to his cell. As he heard the clanking of keys, he did his best to hide his fear and opened his eyes.

Merlin sighed with relief as he saw that it was only Aredian. Uther wouldn't have sent the witchfinder to kill him. It wasn't over, at least not yet. Apparently Aredian had noticed his strange reaction, as he said, "Happy to see me, Emrys? Or were you expecting someone else? An executioner perhaps?"

Merlin ignored Aredian, turning back towards the wall and slowly moving back into a sitting position. Aredian didn't seem too bothered by this as he kept on speaking.

"You won't have to wait long for that executioner. Your death has been moved up. This is your last night on earth, Emrys, and you get to spend it with me."

So he had been right in thinking Uther would want him dead sooner rather than later. At least he still had some time. Maybe Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot would come up with a plan before then. Or maybe Arthur would get down to Kilgarrah and find a way to get him out of here. There wasn't much of a chance, but at least now he could hope. And he would hold on to that hope for as long as he could.

"Of course that means we only have one day for you to tell me all your little secrets. And do you know what the best part is, Emrys?" Aredian continued with a smirk, apparently taking Merlin's silence as permission to speak. Merlin didn't give a response, but then Aredian probably hadn't expected one as he strode over to Merlin, grabbed his head and yanked him around saying, "I don't have to keep you alive for much longer. Oh, Emrys, we are going to have fun today. Or at least I am."

Merlin felt himself shiver as Aredian spoke. The guards who had been standing at attention behind Aredian finally moved forward as the witchfinder backed up slightly. They quickly unchained Merlin, escorting him to the same room Aredian had 'questioned' him in earlier. It was filled with rows and rows of knives, daggers, and other horrible instruments Merlin wasn't able to name. There was a fireplace roaring in one corner, and a tub full of water in another. Merlin had already become quite familiar with a large number of the knives, a couple whips, and the basin of water. Aredian apparently wanted to keep changing things as he moved over to the fireplace, pulling out a white-hot poker and saying with a grin, "So, Emrys, shall we get started?"

Merlin focused on the wall across from the chair he had once again been secured to as Aredian stalked towards him.

"What did you do with the Lady Morgana?" Aredian asked, holding the poker less than a hand's-width from Merlin's arm. Merlin clenched his jaw, still staring straight at the wall, refusing to even acknowledge the question as Aredian closed the space between the tip of the poker and his arm, pulling the skin taught around multiple lacerations Aredian had give Merlin earlier, and causing Merlin to scream in agony.

Arthur had been pacing ever since he had been deposited back into his chambers. He needed to act, Merlin just had so little time left. Still, if he made a mistake now, it could cost Merlin his life. He needed to make sure he wasn't caught, so he had to wait until the sun set and there were fewer people patrolling the corridors. He had spent most of the time waiting for darkness tying together every single length of cloth he could find, from his bed sheets to his curtain. His room was now a complete mess, but he had fashioned quite a long rope from the destroyed cloth. Securing it in his room had been a bit problematic, but he had eventually decided to take a slight risk and trust in the sturdiness of his bed posts, knotting the rope as tightly as he could before lowering it out his window and climbing down into the empty courtyard. The makeshift rope still wasn't quite long enough, so he had had to jump the last few feet, but he had landed well enough, luckily avoiding a large pile of horse dung by an unsettlingly small distance. He had then raced toward the dungeons, praying that the Dragon Merlin had spoken of would be able to help him somehow.

Arthur froze when he reached the stairs leading down to the dungeons. There were screams coming from deep within the cells. The cells that were empty except for Merlin. Aredian must have returned, in a last attempt to get any information out of Merlin. Arthur wanted to race down and free him, but he had to stay focused. He had to get to the Dragon. He couldn't risk being sent back to his chambers now, not before he learned how he could save Merlin. This Dragon was his only hope if he wanted to get Merlin out alive. Hurt, but alive.

Luckily it seemed the guards usually posted outside the dungeons had gone with Aredian. Arthur took advantage of this, lighting a torch and running down the stairs Merlin had said led to the Dragon his father had imprisoned. He had never ventured down these stairs before, they had been too close to the dungeons which only held bad memories for him. Uther had started using the cells as a punishment when Arthur was five, and the isolating darkness had become one of his greatest fears. Visiting Merlin had been one of the only times he had ever willingly gone down into the prison, his need to help Merlin overpowering his fear of the site of his childhood torture.

Arthur was amazed at the sheer size of the caverns hidden underneath the citadel. He hadn't exactly known what to expect when Merlin had said there was a Dragon under the castle, but these caves were more incredible than anything he had expected. The thought that he had lived above this gaping cavern all his life was slightly mind-blowing. He looked around, waiting for something to happen, not exactly sure what to do.

"Hello?" Arthur called out nervously. He cleared his throat, and tried again, hoping to sound slightly more princely as he shouted, "I need to speak with you!"

His call echoed throughout the cave. Arthur was beginning to wonder if Merlin had somehow been mistaken when there was a whooshing sound, followed by the clanking of chains as a giant monster descended from a corner of the cave.

"You certainly took your time, young Pendragon." The beast said. Arthur did his best to keep his jaw from dropping as he was confronted by a creature that obviously could swallow him whole. He gulped, remembered how much Merlin needed his help as he said, "Merlin sent me. He needs your help."

"Not my help, little prince. Yours."

Arthur just watched the Dragon, one hand on his sword as the beast continued. "You must free the warlock. It is your destiny to change this land, but you will not be able to do it without him. You cannot allow your father to stop you."

"I know," Arthur said, this talk was getting him nowhere. "I know I have to save Merlin. But how? My father has an army, I am but one."

"Why did you come to me, then? What do you expect a creature imprisoned for the past twenty years to be able to do?"

"Merlin said you were wise, he told me to come to you. We need a way to free his powers without the key to the chains that bind him. Do you know of anything that could save him?"

The Dragon stared at Arthur for a while, his golden eyes making Arthur feel quite uncomfortable. Arthur couldn't help but fidget as the Dragon studied him. He needed this information now! Every second wasted was one second closer to Merlin's execution. Finally, the Dragon shifted and said, "I could make you a weapon that could free Merlin, but you must promise me that it will only be used only by yourself, and only to further your destiny."

"I promise!" Arthur shouted, nearly bouncing with glee. He might have a chance at rescuing Merlin now. "I swear I would only use it for my destiny, just please, please help me!"

"Alright, young prince." The Dragon said with what sounded like a chuckle. "I shall require a sword."

Arthur yanked his sword from his belt, glad that he almost always carried it with him, and offered it to the Dragon. The Dragon shook its head and said, "That blade has been stained with the blood of too many innocents. You must bring me a clean, unused sword, the best you can acquire."

Arthur almost argued, he didn't have time to be running around looking for swords. Merlin had only hours left, and this Dragon was too snooty to use his sword. It was a good blade, even if it had 'been stained by the blood of too many innocents', whatever that meant. But arguing with a Dragon just didn't seem to be the best course of action, so Arthur took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I will get you a better sword and be back as quickly as I can."

"Run, young Pendragon. The warlock doesn't have much time left." The Dragon said as Arthur bounded up the stairs, trying to think where he could find a new sword at this hour.

Leon had left the castle as quickly as he could. There wasn't time to rally the knights now, he needed to find the people who already would want to free Merlin and hope that they would be enough, for Arthur's sake. He hoped he was doing the right thing and tried not to consider the possibility that the king was correct and Arthur was under a love spell. He didn't know much about enchantments, but Arthur seemed to know what he was doing, his personality hadn't really changed since he met the thief and he seemed more focused and sure of himself than ever.

And even if he was supposed to serve the crown, Leon couldn't deny that it was getting more and more difficult to remain loyal to a king who didn't seem to care for his people at all. King Uther might spend most of his time locked away in his palace, but the knights did not. They saw the suffering, they knew the consequences of Uther's actions. Some may have been content to watch the people starve, but Leon knew he was not alone in questioning the measures Uther was taking to ensure he remained the wealthiest monarch in Albion, and he had seen a general rise in happiness and healthiness since Emrys had started "attacking" the kingdom. As Arthur's friend, he knew how much the prince cared about his people, and wanted to help him protect them in any way he could.

So Leon rode as fast as he could into the darkling woods, praying that he would find the other outlaws quickly. The guards had not questioned him as he ventured out of the city, figuring he was on another mission for Uther and allowing him to reach the point he had first seen Merlin unhindered. He paused for a moment, letting his horse catch its breath before he continued northeast, slowing slightly and straining his ears for any sounds of the outlaw camp. Leon was so focused on finding Emrys' friends that he hadn't considered the possibility that someone might find him instead. He and was taken completely by surprise as three men in cloaks, one carrying a flaming torch, jumped from the dark forest, startling his horse which reared back. Leon was forced to abandon his mount as it continued to buck, leaving him surrounded and at the same level as the hooded men.

"What's a knight of Camelot doing alone so far away from the city?" one of the men asked as they moved closer to Leon. Leon kept his hand on his sword's hilt but left it sheathed, not wanting to startle his attackers unnecessarily. He gulped as the one behind him pressed the tip of his sword into his back and said quickly, "I'm looking for the friends of Emrys. He needs their help."

"Come out to try and catch us all on your own?" The same man asked. "Did you really think you stood a chance? Just because you have our leader doesn't mean we are helpless."

The man behind him grunted in agreement before pushing Leon to the ground and shouting, "Where is Emrys?"

Leon rolled onto his back to get a better view of his three attackers. At least it seemed he had found Merlin's friends. "He's still in the city, but I want to help you! Please, listen to me. The prince-"

As soon as the word prince left his mouth, the sword that had been pressed against his back was right in front of his face.

"Don't you dare mention that bastard!" The large, cloaked man roared. Leon tried to suppress a shiver. Arthur had trusted him to get these men, he couldn't let his friend down. The blade got closer to his throat as the first man who had spoken asked the other cloaked men "What do you think we should do with him?"

Before the third got a chance to respond Leon shouted, "Wait! Please, listen to me! Merlin needs your help!"

The three men froze, and the blade in his face lowered slightly before it was thrust under his neck, its point almost piercing his skin. "WHO TOLD YOU THAT NAME!" the large one yelled, causing Leon to shake in earnest. He tried his best to keep his voice from betraying his worry as he replied, "Prince Arthur did, when I first met Merlin in the forest. Please, I just want to help you! Merlin will die if you don't act quickly!"

Although the blade didn't lower from his neck, the mood seemed to lighten as the other two cloaked men pulled back their hoods. Leon recognized Lancelot immediately, even though he looked much more rugged than he had when he came to try out for the knights. The other man was a stranger, but must have either been Percival or Gwaine if he was remembering what Arthur had told him correctly. He caught Lancelot's eyes for a moment, before the stranger spoke saying, "You're Sir Scruffy-beard?"

Leon definitely hadn't been expecting that. "No," he said cautiously, "I'm Sir Leon."

"But you're the knight Merlin met in the forest, right? Sir Scruffy-beard!"

"I did meet Merlin in the forest, but I can assure you that is not my name." Leon said, feeling slightly offended by the thief's nickname for him.

"No, it's Sir Leon. You're the man who offered me a job when Uther refused my pleas." Lancelot said with a small smile. Leon was grateful Lancelot remembered him, it seemed he might be able to complete his mission yet.

"Still doesn't explain what he's doing out here." The still-cloaked one said, refusing to lower his sword.

"I came to try to get your help! King Uther is going to execute Merlin tomorrow morning if we can't rescue him soon. Prince Arthur is doing everything he can to help, but the king thinks he has been enchanted, and has been keeping him under guard. He sent me out to find you, he knows he can't do this on his own, and that you will need help from the inside if you want to get Merlin to safety."

"Why would Arthur help him?" the large one asked, still not removing his hood. Lancelot sighed and the other un-hooded one looked at his feet guiltily. Didn't these men know that Arthur loved Merlin? Of course he would be helping. "What do you mean?" Leon asked, "Arthur's been doing everything he can to help Merlin for months."

"But it's Arthur's fault he was captured." The cloaked man responded, sounding slightly more confused than angry.

"Arthur's fault? It was Aredian who caught Merlin. As far as I know Arthur had nothing to do with it." Leon responded. He vaguely remembered Arthur saying something about leading Merlin into a trap, but they must know Arthur would never have purposefully hurt the man he loved. As no one responded, Leon continued, "Arthur said that you might think he lead Merlin into a trap, but he had no idea Aredian was having him followed. I've know the Prince almost his entire life, he has never acted this way about anyone else before, he really does love Merlin. Please trust me. If not for me, then for Merlin. He needs you, I can get you into the city, and if Arthur's plan works we'll have a way of getting him out."

There was a long moment of silence as the sword at Leon's neck was slowly lowered, allowing him to move into a slightly more comfortable position. The three men glanced back and forth between each other before the large one finally removed his hood. As he did the dark-haired stranger said, "So, should we trust him?"

"Yes." The large man said, surprising Leon and the other two men as well as the one he didn't know asked, "You think we should trust him, Percy? I thought you still blamed Arthur?"

"That doesn't matter." The large man, Percy, or Percival, probably, replied. "We need his help to save Merlin, and we need to save Merlin. He's right, we can't do this on our own. I may not like it, but we need to trust Arthur."

"Well said." The dark haired man who must have been Gwaine said, offering Leon a hand up. He took it gratefully, glad to finally be at the same height as the other three men. He smiled as Lancelot reached a hand forward saying, "You may not remember me, my name is-"

"Lancelot." Leon finished for him. "And I do remember you. You had courage to stand up to the king, I wish I could have helped you more."

"To be honest, I'm kind of glad you didn't." Lancelot said with a smile. "I'm rather happy with the way my life has turned out."

"And what would we do without Lance?" The one Leon thought was Gwaine said, thumping him on the shoulder. "I'm Gwaine by the way, and once this whole thing is over we should definitely get to know each other better over a pint of ale."

"Gwaine, now is not the time." Lancelot chastised, although the effect was rather ruined by his large grin. It seemed the large man who must be Percival agreed as he pulled Leon around and said, "What's happened to Merlin? Do you have a plan to get him out?"

"A plan?" Leon repeated, wishing he had had more time to talk to Arthur about what he should do once he got to these men. "Well, Arthur sent me to get more help. I think he has a plan, or is working on one."

"URGH!" Probably Percival shouted and spun around, marching a few feet away before returning to say, "And Merlin? What has Uther done to him?"

"He's still alive," Leon started, "but not for much longer if the king gets his way. Just before I left, he moved the execution up to tomorrow morning. No one besides the king and the witchfinder have been allowed down in the dungeons since he was caught, so I don't really know much about what condition he is in currently, but it probably isn't good. He was given twenty lashes as a warning to the people who might side with him, and Aredian has probably done worse. I'm sorry I can't tell you more."

"Tomorrow? The execution is tomorrow?" almost-definitely-Percival said, a look of shock on his face. Gwaine and Lancelot looked equally horrified as Leon nodded and said, "I think that is when the Prince will act. Merlin is much too heavily guarded now to get down to the cells, at the execution he will be most exposed. If we can get to him then, and Arthur can free his magic, we might stand a chance."

Lancelot nodded, the look of horror morphing to a look of determination as he said, "Alright. We will need to prepare, get disguises, and hide weapons. You said you could get us into the city?"

"I'm Arthur's second-in-command, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I can order the guards away, or just tell them to let you all pass. The men should obey me." Leon responded.

"Then let's get prepared and get to Camelot. Merlin has been held prisoner for much too long." Percival said before turning and walking back into the trees.

"That's for certain." Gwaine said before following him.

"Our camp isn't far, we will gather our supplies and then ride for the city." Lancelot informed Leon while gesturing him forward. Leon followed Gwaine, hoping that this could work and Merlin might actually stand a chance.

Arthur had been to the armory, snuck through the empty wings of the castle and searched the barracks, but he had been unsuccessful in finding an unused sword. As he ran past the unused chambers that had once belonged to Morgana, he realized that what he really needed right now was a blacksmith. As he glanced at the door that had once been a pathway to the woman who had so often been his moral compass, he remembered another girl. A girl who just happened to be the daughter of a blacksmith.

Arthur switched directions immediately, heading out of the castle and towards the house he had visited once to tell Guinevere about what had really happened to her mistress. He prayed that she would help him as he knocked on the small door he was almost certain belonged to her and her father. Arthur hadn't really thought about the time as he charged through the street, and now that he paused, slightly breathless outside the little cottage he realized that most reasonable people who weren't dashing about to save the man they loved would probably be asleep by now. Still, he couldn't wait for her to wake up so he knocked again, hoping that he could wake someone in the house. It took him quite a lot of knocking before he heard some rustling about in the house, and a sleepy Gwen pulled open the door.

"Guinevere!" Arthur shouted, taking a brief moment to make sure he hadn't alarmed any guards before turning back towards the tired woman and saying, "I need your help!"

"Sire? What are you doing here?" Guinevere mumbled, obviously still not quite awake.

"I need a sword, one that has never been used before, the best you have. Please tell me you have something. I will pay you back as soon as I can, but I need the sword now."

"Of course, Sire." Gwen said with a yawn, still looking quite confused. As she led Arthur back into the house he heard a deep voice call out, "Gwen, who was that?"

"Prince Arthur." Gwen shouted to the voice. "He needs a sword."

"Did you tell him to come back at a more reasonable hour?" The voice called back, making Arthur feel slightly guilty. Still, it was for Merlin. This was more important than two people getting a good night's sleep.

Gwen just shook her head and laughed softly before saying, "Don't listen to him, he just gets grumpy when he's tired."

"Is that your father?" Arthur asked, trying to be polite even though he wanted to yell at her to go much faster. Couldn't she tell this was important?

"No, my brother. Father died in the plague a few years ago. Elyan came back to take c-c-care of me and run the forge." She said with a yawn.

"I'm sorry." Arthur said, "But do you think you could get that sword? A man's life sort of depends on it."

This seemed to perk her up slightly as she turned to him and said, "A man's life?"

"Yes. I need a sword to free him from my father. It's a long story and I really don't have time to tell it now. I have to free him so I must get a clean sword, the best you have."

"This man sounds important." Gwen said with a knowing smile, as she quickly made her way over to a large chest in the back of a small room.

"He is." Arthur replied, "He helped me find a place where Morgana would be safe when, well, when she left."

Gwen nodded, opening the chest and pulling out a long package wrapped in velvet. She opened it slowly, revealing a beautiful sword. "My father used to say this was the best sword he ever made. He was saving it for something special, I never quite knew what. He died before he got the chance to give it away. Elyan doesn't know about it, so I guess it's my responsibility to make sure it gets to the right person now. It is the best we have, no doubt about it, just promise me you will use it well. Emrys helped us when Morgana disappeared, don't let him die now."

Arthur nodded slowly. Of course it would have been obvious he was talking about Emrys, seeing as there was no one else about to be executed by his father. It was still strange to hear Gwen mention him, and the smile she gave showed Arthur once more just how great of an effect Merlin had had on practically every citizen of Camelot. "Thank you so much, Guinevere. This is perfect. I will never forget this."

Guinevere blushed slightly saying, "I believe you will be a good king, Sire. Morgana saw it too. Don't let us down."

Arthur nodded and picked up the sword, swinging it in an arc. It was perfectly balanced, and it glimmered brightly in the moonlight streaming in through a window. He could not have asked for a better blade. Now he just needed to get it back to the Dragon before it was too late. He smiled at Gwen before turning back towards the door. "I'm sorry to have bothered you so late at night, and thank you for everything. This sword is perfect."

Gwen smiled sweetly as he reached the door whispering "good luck" as he ran off back through the sleeping city and towards the castle.

Getting back into the castle had taken a lot longer than getting out of it. It seemed like the people were starting to wake even though the sky remained dark. He had to hide multiple times as groups of guards walked past, but from what he had overheard it didn't sound like anyone had noticed he was missing from his room, which was something. If the streets had been difficult to maneuver, the castle had been nigh impossible. He wasn't exactly sure how he had gotten from the Dragon's cave to Guinevere's house so easily, it seemed that every corner had a guard around it, and the hallways were bustling with servants performing their morning duties. Arthur couldn't help but feel nervous. There really wasn't long now. If he failed at saving Merlin because that stupid Dragon hadn't been willing to enchant his sword he would kill the beast himself.

As he finally made it down the steps that lead to the dungeons he noticed that the screams from earlier were gone. He strained his ears for some noise, some sign that Merlin was still alive, but the prison seemed silent. It couldn't have been time yet, the sun wasn't yet up. Still, Arthur couldn't help the fear that fluttered in his chest as he made his way down the steps in silence. He was about to enter the cells and make sure Merlin was still there when he heard a thump, followed by a soft grunt and a sound that was definitely words muffled by layers of walls. That had to be Merlin, which would mean he was still alive, and Arthur still had time! Ignoring the pull that still told him to rush down and defend Merlin from Aredian and whoever else was down there with him, Arthur rushed down the steps to the Dragon's cave.

The Dragon was waiting from him, almost in the same position he had been in when Arthur left to get the sword. He held the sword Gwen had given him high as he rushed down the steps saying, "I brought you a sword! Please, whatever you have to do, do it quickly!"

"Patience, young Pendragon." The Dragon said, moving much too slowly for Arthur's liking. "You cannot rush fate."

"But Merlin will die if we don't act soon!"

"The young warlock will not die as long as you protect him. Let me see this sword."

Arthur thrust the blade forward, holding it as high as he could so the Dragon could see it. As he held the blade aloft, he felt it slowly leave his grip, floating in the air in front of the Dragon's face.

"You have done well, little prince. This blade will do nicely." The Dragon said with a smile.

"Good. Now do you think you could do whatever you need to do to make it so it can free Merlin? I really don't have time to talk about sword quality right now." Arthur responded, shifting nervously from foot to foot and deciding that Dragons were the most frustrating creatures on the planet. The Dragon just chuckled at him. "Very well. I will enchant this blade, but first you must swear that you will use it only for good, and that you will see to it that this sword never leaves your care. A blade made by me will have great powers, in the wrong hands it could do terrible things."

"Alright, I swear on my honor as a knight! I will only use it for good, and I will never let anyone else use it. Just, please hurry!"

The Dragon nodded silently and pulled his head back before releasing a golden mist that encircled the sword, swirling around it and covering each section of the blade, leaving it glowing brightly even in the dark caverns. As the mist slowly faded the blade was lowered back down into Arthur's desperate grasp. The sword remained bright for a moment before fading back to its original color, the only mark of the change being a golden swath down the middle, marked with symbols he didn't know. He muttered a thank you and turned to race up the stairs before the Dragon stopped him, shouting, "Keep your promise, Arthur Pendragon, I shall know if you don't."

Arthur just nodded and ran up the stairs, clinging to the sword that now had the power to save Merlin.

Merlin had lost most of his ability to tell what was going on long ago. He had stopped screaming as his voice became too raw, and was now only able to grunt and whimper as Aredian continued to ask him question after question. He could still see, although weariness and pain had caused his vision to go quite blurry. He had also gone slightly numb, which was almost a blessing as each blow seemed to hurt less and less as he lost the ability to feel. He couldn't really tell what Aredian was asking him anymore, not that he really cared, he wasn't going to answer. It had been slightly amusing to watch Aredian get more and more frustrated as time went on, but now he was too exhausted to notice. He did however notice when Aredian turned and left, leaving him with only his guards. The pulled him up and dragged him out of the room Aredian had held him in, pulling him not toward his old cell, but out of the dungeons. He tried to get his feet underneath him and walk, but his body didn't seem to want to obey him and he eventually gave up, letting the guards drag him out into the sunlight where the hastily constructed pyre stood waiting for him.