I am sosososososososososososo sorry! I don't deserve to have awesome readers and reviwers like you guys and then just not post for two weeks! Luckily, I am almost done the story, so once I can finally get ahead of the game the reviews will be more consistent. Sadly, that time is not now. Okay, so I know I left all of you with a nasty cliffhanger last chapter, so I hope this makes up for it!

Wisegirl6

Chapter 20 ~The Beginning of the End

The silence in the room was deafening. Guardian and ward stared at each other, looks of shock and hope evident on their faces.

Merlin's heart was beating faster than he thought possible. Surely Gaius wouldn't recognize him just because he had a red neckerchief. Would he? But the hope was undeniable, it started in his chest and expanded outwards in seconds. All the slave could think was 'please let him see me'.

Almost as if he were in a dream, Gaius stumbled forwards. He stopped a few paces away from Merlin, inspecting him carefully.

The warlock opened and closed his mouth, fighting the Blood Oath for something that he could say that would verify what Gaius surely suspected.

The old man reached up an old wrinkled hand and gently brushed the black fringe away from Merlin's eyes. Gaius' knees almost buckled when he saw those eyes. "Merlin?" he asked softly.

Merlin could have cried with relief. "Gaius," he smiled.

With an unidentifiable sound Gaius threw his arms around his surrogate son. "Merlin," Gaius sobbed. "Oh, my boy."

Even though the physician's arms were cutting painfully into his injured back and arms, Merlin didn't feel a thing over the pure joy that was coursing through his veins. He was finally back with Gaius again.

Merlin laughed through the tears that were now sliding down his own cheeks. Arthur would surely laugh at him if he were here now. The king had always made fun of him because of his strange sense of style. If only Arthur knew that his strange sense of style would save Merlin's life!

The slave wanted desperately to say something, anything to comfort his mentor, but the words were held back by Isobel's spell. The pain flared up as if warning him not to try anything.

Gaius broke away, wiping at his eyes. "But, how? You were dead, the traders killed you." A disturbing thought struck Gaius. "Unless..."

Merlin was tempted to lie for a moment, tell Gaius that he hadn't been sold and instead escaped and gotten a job with Cavell until a time where he could get back to Camelot. But he knew that wouldn't be fair to his father figure, especially since it had been three years. Merlin nodded his head solemnly.

The old man took the news just as well as Merlin had expected. With wide eyes he collapsed into a chair, still staring at his ward. "All this time you've been alive and working for Cavell's family as a slave," he whispered, unable to believe what had happened to his boy. "As a slave," he repeated quietly.

Merlin sat down in the chair next to Gaius. He laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, no words forthcoming.

"What happened?" he asked weakly. "What did they do to you?"

It broke Merlin's heart to see Gaius look so upset. "The-" Merlin was cut off as the curse came rushing in. He gasped and lurched forwards, this pain was much worse than anything that he'd ever felt before. It filled not only his head, but every single cell in his body, filling him with an intense, searing burning sensation.

Gaius caught Merlin before he could hit the ground. He looked at him with unveiled concern and helped him back into the chair. "Merlin? Merlin, what's wrong?" he asked quickly, scanning his ward for the cause of his pain.

Gaius was a skilled physician, but even he didn't know what had brought on the strange episode. He had just bandaged his wounds and given him painkillers for the bruises, so what was causing him such agony?

After a moment Merlin's hasty breathing evened out slightly and he looked back up at Gaius with an unidentifiable look. "Sorry," he croaked.

The old man was taken back. Merlin had no reason to apologize. "What was that?"

Merlin fought for the words. He was still in so much pain. Usually it wasn't half as bad as that. He supposed it was because he had directly threatened Isobel's secret. This was the first time Merlin had ever tried something like that. Maybe the pain got worse the more information you revealed?

"It..." Merlin trailed off, he really didn't want that happening again. The slave flashed back to the time when he was in Cavell's fortress and trying to escape.

4- No telling anyone that you are being kept as a slave, were captured by slave traders and sold, or are under an enchantment

A thought struck him. Merlin leapt to his feet, though he really didn't feel like standing, and rushed to the bookshelves lining the wall.

"Merlin?" Gaius questioned watching his ward bustle about the shelves, quickly scanning the names lining the shelf.

The warlock wasn't listening. He ran his fingers over the spines as he read their titles. He was looking for a specific one on dangerous enchantments.

Gaius was the only one in Camelot that was allowed books on magic. Of course, none of them detailed how to do magic, just gave various ways of stopping or overpowering it. Most of the pages ended in 'and kill the caster of the enchantment,' but despite that they really were helpful books to have on hand. Escpecially in Camelot, where magical attacks were more common than mice.

Finally finding the right book, Merlin pulled it off the shelf and dropped it onto the table. Dust flew in every direction and Merlin fell into another coughing fit. The warlock shook it off and threw open the dusty volume.

The physician peered over Merlin's shoulder as he leafed through the pages, barely taking time to read the headings at the top of each page. After some time he came to a page, stopped, and flipped it back once more.

The title was done in deep red ink. Blood Oaths.

A shiver went down Gaius' spine. He recognized the term. Once, long before the purge, a sorcerer had gone power-mad and used this enchantment on countless individuals. He then forced his makeshift soldiers to fight their friends, family, and home in his army. Thousands had perished. Camelot had barely survived the attack and the king at the time, Uther's father, had done everything in his power to destroy every record of the spell. Apparently he hadn't done enough.

The truth struck the old man like a knife in the gut. Someone in the noble's family had Merlin under this spell. They had the power to order him to anything they wanted to. They could even force him to... Even the thought was too much for the old physician.

Merlin looked at his surrogate father as if judging his reaction. It was worse than he expected. he blood drained from Gaius' face and his eyes widened. He obviously recognized the spell.

"They-they put you under this spell?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Gaius sighed. Why did Merlin always have to get himself into such troublesome situations? "Oh, Merlin," he scolded fondly. He set a hand on his ward's shoulder. "Now I suppose we're going to have to get you out of it, correct?"

Merlin turned and grinned. He had missed Gaius a lot. "Yup." He grew serious. "But first I need to find Arthur."

The old man smiled sadly. Of course he would want to tell Arthur. If Merlin had missed Arthur even a fraction of the amount the king had missed his servant, one of the first things he would do would be to find him again. "Merlin, you won't be able to tell him, the Blood Oath will stop any attempts at divulging secrets like that. I'll have to tell him for you," he said, turning to leave.

"No, Gaius," Merlin said as he caught his arm. "I have to tell Arthur myself."

Beginning of Arthur reveal next chapter! I know so manu of you have been waiting for it so I hope it fulfills expectations! Sadly I had to break it into two parts because it was getting too long for everything I wanted in it.

I hope this chapter was good and stuff, it is definitely one of my top favourites. So send me a review if you thought it was good! I'll try and update sooner than later this time!

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Wisegirl6