Merlin!" Arthur yelled into his ear for the fifth time, shaking the limp form of his friend. Worry was coursing through his veins, flowing side by side with his blood. "Gaius, what happened?"

"I believe…aha!" the old physician pulled a worn, leather book down from the shelf and flipped through it, running his finger down the pages as he spoke. His brow was furrowed in concentration as his eyes almost flew across the words, clearly agitated. "It seems he was being possessed!"

"Possessed?" Arthur could practically feel the shock on his face, astonishment racing through him as he glanced at his servant. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all - Gaius wouldn't lie to him about something like this, but things always got so much more complicated when magic became involved.

"I'm afraid so, Sire. It seems that Merlin was responsible for the recent string of deaths."

"But Merlin wouldn't even hurt a fly!" Arthur exclaimed angrily, gesturing to the boy lying at his feet. He was offended that Gaius would suggest such a thing.

"But it wasn't Merlin! He is being possessed by vengeful spirits, those who have business left in Camelot." The old man explained, his voice practically dripping with forced patience as he stepped towards to king.

"Rache-?"

"Is German for revenge." Gaius supplied, his shoulders sagged in relief as the conversation distracting him from further research died away.

Arthur stared down at his servant, unsure of what to say next. But apparently Merlin did.

" Limina phasma phasmatis aperuit …" Merlin muttered, his breath quickening, eyes still closed but rolling beneath the lids.

Arthur looked up at Gaius questioningly.

"Phasma phasmatis vindice mundi, adsurgere liberum in hoc noluit anima."

"Gaius what is this, what is he saying?" Arthur asked, furrowing his brow. He didn't have vast knowledge of the Old Religion but he could recognize a spell when he heard one. And this one. This one was coming from his best friend.

Merlin starting shuttering, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead, teeth chattering.

"I don't know, Sire…" Gaius said quickly, fearing that the truth might come out without Merlin there to explain anything.

"Somewhere, in one of these books, you must have a translation for this spell!"

"Sire I don't-."

"Gaius, you must have kept some of your old books, just check!" Arthur shouted.

The old man hobbled away, pulling down books. He then sat at the table and began flicking through them distractedly. Arthur picked Merlin up, carrying him upstairs and laying him on the bed. Feeling his forehead, he discovered a fever beginning to brew.

"Of course you'd be the one to go and get yourself possessed, you idiot." He murmured, shifting Merlin under the covers to keep him warm. He started towards the door, looking back as if hoping his friend would just sit up and snap back with one of his surly retorts. But of course he didn't. Arthur took a calming breath then went back down stairs the check if Gaius had found anything.

"Here!" Gaius exclaimed, just as the king opened his mouth to ask. "The first spell means 'Opened the doors,' the second one means 'vengeful spirit of the world, this would not soar in the freedom of the soul.'"

"So he opened a door then…?"

"The second possible translation is 'Vengeful spirits enter this unwilling soul.'"

"So that would be the spell that was cast upon Merlin?" Arthur asked, sitting down across from the old man. This was beyond him; he wasn't sure what he was expected to do when magic was involved. If it had been any other person, he might have been able to think straight, but this was Merlin. How was Arthur supposed to react when it was his friend in question?

"I believe so." Gaius cast a wary eye around the room as if searching for answers on what to do next. "Aha, I almost forgot!"

"What is it?" Arthur looked over as Gaius picked up a piece of parchment with a black ribbon tied around it.

"The letter from Hunith, I received it just before you arrived." He came over and sat back down, the parchment held loosely in between his fingers. Arthur found that his eyes were locked on it, wondering if this held the answers that they were looking for.

"What does it say?"

"I haven't had the chance to read it yet,"

"Read it aloud."

'Dear Gaius,

How is Merlin? It has been a long time since we talked, and I worry for him. What about you? I am rather surprised by your sudden interest in Molly; it's been years since Merlin spoke of her.'

Arthur and Gaius exchanged looks before Arthur gestured for Gaius to carry on reading.

'She was his best friend; they didn't know each other for that long, but Merlin saw a lost soul in need of help. Her and her parents had been on a journey from another village when their camp was attacked by bandits. She escaped but just barely, one of the men saw her run off and they followed. Merlin had been outside when she ran into town and was the first person to her. She did her best to explain what happened, but she was frantic, not making enough sense. Merlin took her back to our house and calmed her down, convinced her to retell the story with more sense. It took a while for the bandits to find her; Merlin noticed a few camped out on the border when he went to collect firewood. He did his best to keep her hidden from their eyes, but one day, when Merlin was out attending to his duties, she followed him out without getting his attention. The bandits soon saw her and took to our village; they had wanted her dead so she couldn't tell anyone about what happened at the camp. Whether they killed her or not, she would have never told, living in fear of that day, shuddering whenever she remembered. Merlin did his best to hide her, they ran all throughout the village that day, seeking a new spot if the bandits got too close. He had told me that they found a cupboard in an empty room to hide in, where they fell asleep. When he woke up he found that the bandits had gotten to her in the middle of the night, killing her but sparing him for some reason he couldn't understand.'

At this part, some of the ink was smeared with tear stains.

'Ever since that night, I can tell that he relives it in his nightmares, whether he cares to admit it or not. Only two years before he went to live with you did he find peace. If he has started to dream of that night again, something must have reminded him of it. Farewell Gaius, I hope to hear back on the details soon.

Love,

Hunith'

That stubborn tear Arthur was fighting finally broke free and was gliding down his face when the older man fell silent.

"I had no idea…" He whispered, staring at Gaius.

Gaius just sighed in response, a shocked look on his face that Arthur knew was reflected on his own. There always seemed to be so much more to Merlin than the he let on.

"But-" he took a deep breath. "But he said Molly did this to him, surely he had to be mistaken. After all he did for her…"

"I don't know…I don't even want to go here, but maybe there's something Hunith left out…"

Arthur set his jaw, staring at Gaius. The anger in his eyes was enough for the man to remain silent. He didn't even want to go there. He got up from the table and went back up to Merlin.

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked, coming in the room as Merlin let out a small moan.

"I feel like I've been trampled by horses." Merlin sighed, not moving.

"Yeah…Sorry 'bout that." The king took a seat next to the bed, staring at his hands, his shoulders sagging. The exhaustion of the past few days was starting to get to him. Straightening up in attempts to wash away the drowsy feeling, he studied Merlin's face, hoping he could find even an inch of it that didn't look like it was scrunched in pain.

"Well you did knee me in the stomach." Merlin turned his head to face Arthur, grimacing in the process.

"You remember?" Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows. He couldn't help but wonder what else Merlin might remember.

"Yeah…I also- there's something...I just can't- Oh my gods," the warlock propped himself up on his elbows, staring at the man beside him in shock. "I attacked you!"

"It's fine Merlin, it wasn't-,"

Merlin swore loudly, sitting straight up, his voice thick with panic "No, I couldn't have, I…Oh my gods, I killed people. Innocent, unarmed people. I filled my friend!"

"Merlin, that wasn't you!" Arthur wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, himself or Merlin.

"But it was me, I killed him! Stabbed them without a thought!" Merlin's breath suddenly caught in his throat and he swallowed thickly. His voice dropped in volume, coming out slightly hoarse. "I killed Sir Geraint. I got a dagger, and I stabbed him right in the heart…Sir Geraint was my friend." His voice was becoming thick with unshed tears.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled. "It. Wasn't. You."

Merlin looked him in the eye, tears pouring down his face, seeing that he really believed his own words. "Bu-"

"You were possessed!" Arthur hissed, tilting his head in exasperation. He barely even noticed that his hands were balled into tight fists by his side. He had to get Merlin to understand that it wasn't him, otherwise Arthur wasn't sure what the consequences would be.

"What? What do you mean 'possessed'?" Merlin managed to sit up fully, wincing as he pulled his tired muscles.

"Erm…Merlin, I'm sorry to bring this up…" He looked up at his friend's tear-stained face. "We found out about Molly, from your mother…"

"Oh." Merlin redirected his gaze, looking down at his hands. Arthur wasn't sure whether it was to avoid looking at him because he knew about it, or because he was trying to hide his emotions.

"She is the one who did this to you, right?"

"Yes." His eyes didn't move off his hands. Arthur was sure now it was so that he didn't have to look his master in the eye. He didn't know whether it was because the memories were too painful for Merlin, or whether it was something that he considered private. Arthur just wished that Merlin could trust him more.

"Gaius found something, after I, erm, disarmed you-,"

"Kneed me in the stomach." Merlin cut him off, the ghost of a smile lingering on his face.

"As I was saying, after I disarmed you, you started to say something…A spell…Gaius was able to translate it and figured from the meaning of the spell and that you've been cursed."

"I thought you said I was possessed?" he asked, finally looking up.

"Well, the spell was meant to open the door to the spirits."

"Well that explains all these everlasting cuts."

"I found something," Gaius shouted from down the stairs. Arthur looked up and ran down to the main room, trying to maintain a small amount of dignity as he did so. Of all the things the man would miss in his life, the warlock's shudder would be one of the most important.

"What did you find?" Arthur skid to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, trying to get as much information out of Gaius as fast as possible.

"It says here that in order to break a curse of this sort, you have to make the objective too much for the victim, thus making it too much for the castor."

Arthur just stared at him blankly.

"You would have to make the objective too much, meaning there would have to be too many souls for the sorcerer to keep track of." Gaius continued, realizing that none of this was getting through to the king.

"So in order to break the curse we'd have to cast a spell to bring all the spirits seeking Merlin…into him?" Arthur asked, thinking about the amount of pain that would cause his friend.

"I am afraid so, Sire." The old man looked into the king's eyes as he digested the new information.

"How…?"

Gaius gave him one simple look, and that was all that he needed.

"Do it."

"But Sire, magic is banned in Camelot." Gaius protested, making sure that Arthur did truly know what was being discussed. The last thing the physician wanted was for Arthur to change his mind and blame Merlin for it afterwards.

"I am the king, Gaius, I will allow it this one time."

Neither of the men noticed Merlin lurking in the shadows of the room, nearing the exit. He had managed to get down the stairs and passed the pair whilst Gaius had been explaining what was happening. Normally, he wasn't sure that he would have managed it, but both the king and the physician had been distracted. Merlin had taken his chance and gone. As they discussed the new thoughts that were forming in their minds, they heard the small thud of a door being closed.

"Grab the book!" Arthur yelled, sprinting after Merlin. Gaius followed in his wake, the pages of the book flapping in the wind as they ran, following the boy as fast as possible.

"MERLIN!" Arthur yelled. The raven haired boy stopped in the center of the square.

"I will not let you stop me, he deserves this, he deserves everything that has happened to him and more!" Merlin shouted, causing Arthur to stop.

The king stared at him in surprise. "It's-it's you…"

"No! It's me, Merlin, the pretty little servant who killed his only friend!" the man was leaning backwards as he yelled in a mocking tone, causing Arthur to shiver. It was Merlin's voice, but Arthur knew they were not his words.

"You did this to him! It's your fault those men died!" Arthur responded, jabbing the air accusingly in the Merlin's direction.

"And it's his fault I died! IT WAS HIS FAULT, HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING ME!"

"You don't have to do this, Molly!" Arthur shouted, adding quietly over his shoulder to Gaius, "Say the spell!"

"Aww, picked up on that have you?" Merlin's voice held its mocking tone, sounding as if he were talking to a disobedient child rather than the King of Camelot.

"Vindice phasma phasmatis, congregabo nunc, expellere qui-!" Gaius began to chant from behind Arthur.

"What are you doing?" the vessel in front of them shrieked.

"Habitat ibi, CONTRARIUM HOC PESTIS ET sublata MALUM!"

It all happened so fast. There was a shriek of protest proceeded by a burst of light, ending in a scream. Arthur stared into the despairing face of his servant. He knew Merlin had a higher tolerance for pain than most, he rarely complained about it, even when he was hit in the chest with a mace. But this was different, this was first time he has ever heard the young man scream.

Almost as soon as it started, the light stopped and the boy fell gasping to the ground looking up at Arthur.

"Ar…thur…Don't stop, please!" he gasped, a pleading look on his face.

But before Arthur could respond with anything more than a look of fear, Merlin was once again in the air. Penetrating the night sky was the most horrible noise he had ever heard. One he wished to never hear again as long as he lived. Lights began to flicker in windows throughout the castle, and the blue light that surrounded his friend once more started to fade. After what seemed like forever, a sickening snap filled the air as Merlin dropped to the ground, curled into a heap, unmoving.

A/N: *gasps* There were no breaks in this chapter?!

I know, even I was surprised! Completely shocking, I didn't think I had it in me! Anywho, thanks for reading. Love you all! :)

xxXTheReinbachDragonlordXxx