Mersan123: Why thank you! I'm glad you think so! :D Merci beaucoup!
Guest: Yes, that is true...
Alaia Skyhawk: *Laughing* BAhahaha, oh, wouldn't that be funny - I mean, awkward... xD I would say poor Uther, but I just... can't. Not feeling it. ;)
MerlinMorgana1579: Yeah, I normally don't like or pity him, so...! Just sharin' the hate, haha. ;) And yeah, he should have, but, it's too late now! Wow. Good guess. Yes, Morgana is in this chapter... and probably/maybe will have a larger part in this story.
It had been hours. Hours of silence and darkness. Merlin sat with his back against the wall of the cell, arm resting on a knee, watching the firelight flickering.
He figured it was now or never to try and start a conversation. "He was angry; people say things they don't mean when they're angry," he said, still staring straight in front of himself.
Arthur-who was in the next cell over-sighed and turned his head in the direction of Merlin's voice. "No... he meant that. We both know he did."
Merlin stayed silent for several moments. "I'm not going to let you die - I won't, I'll do everything in my power to stop it."
Arthur shook his head. "I know; but Merlin... I would do the same for you-so there we have a problem," the prince stated. He had no intention of letting Merlin die, and he was going to do everything in his power to get Merlin freed.
"Good thing I have so much practice saving you, then," Merlin's lips twitched up in a smile. He brought a hand to his throat, pulling the neckerchief away from his neck as though it were somehow suffocating him. He lazily dropped his hand again, sighing.
Arthur sighed and shook his head, running both hands through his hair. He'd never felt so helpless before. "You have a spell for unlocking doors, don't you? Why don't you just... get out? I'll stay and cover for you-and you could come up with a plan to get me out." Arthur hoped Merlin would accept that.
Merlin was hesitant for a moment. He didn't wish to have to kill any of Camelot's knights or the guards if they tried to stop him, and even if he merely threw them against walls - he'd worked with Gaius long enough to know that quite a few head wounds could be fatal. He didn't like the thought, but the plan wasn't a bad one. "You want me to?" he asked, standing up even as he did.
"Merlin, would I have said it, if I didn't want you to?" he asked. "I swear, even in situations like this, you're still an idiot." He tried to his usual teasing tone, but it didn't work out as well as he'd hoped it would-it sounded strained.
Merlin grinned. "And you're still a prat; some things really never change." He looked at the guards playing poker a ways a way, then at the door. He glanced back at Arthur, then looked once more at the lock, "Tospringe." The lock popped off and the door creaked open. Momentarily he looked back again, "I'll come back as soon as I can."
Arthur nodded and waved a hand at Merlin to hurry up. He leaned back against the wall and stayed silently, not giving any hint to the guards that anything was wrong. He would wait.
Merlin turned around, when he felt something hard hitting him in the solar plexus area. Sort of like when Arthur would jab him with a dulled training sword. Confusion dulled his senses, and he felt sluggish. It was a strange sensation - Like somehow he was in pain while being numb. He looked down, brow furrowed, and vision seeming to go in and out. He put a hand to his lower chest, smacking something solid and firm. His frown morphed into a look of surprise, and in his state of shock he stumbled backwards, body tilting dangerously as he started to drift to the floor.
Arthur had watched Merlin start off-however, he didn't get far. Arthur had been forced to watch in horror as a short bolt from a crossbow hit Merlin.
"NO!" Arthur stood up, rushed the short distance to the bars and slammed against them. The prince felt his stomache drop. His vision ran red and he watched helplessly as Merlin began to fall. "No..." his voice trailed slightly.
Merlin was still alive. Maybe he could heal himself? He had to. Arthur wouldn't watch him die. He couldn't do anything-what was he supposed to do? He swallowed convulsively.
"Merlin? Merlin, answer me." His plea was desperate.
Sharp pain started to fan out from the bolt. Merlin gasped, foggy mind trying to register the last several seconds. The door slamming again made him flinch, and vaguely he heard voices and footsteps leaving. He 'hmm'ed, tipping to his knees. He put a hand on the floor to steady himself, and tried to draw his legs underneath of him once more to stand.
It only resulted in a clumsy attempt to stand up, then once again landing on his knees. He blinked up at the prince. 'Answer me.' He tried to. "Arthur?" His voice sounded strange - younger.
Arthur moved to the window from which he could look into Merlin's cell. He looked at his friend, who was now sitting lamely on the floor as blood slowly seeped around the crossbow's arrow.
Arthur glanced at the door of his cell and yelled for someone to call the physician. Surely they wouldn't let Merlin die in the cell like this-before the execution (Which Arthur still intended to stop-somehow)
"It's not that bad-right? You'll be fine-and you'll be back to polishing my armor in no time," Arthur stated, hating how shaky his voice sounded.
Merlin momentarily tried to come up with a retort, perhaps something about socks or mornings, but when he thought about it, it was as if something dropped inside of his chest heavily. No, he didn't want to joke, he just wanted to sleep. He leaned back against the hard bed, staring up at the roof.
His entire form jerked, and reality snapped back from the cloudy mess of tired nothing. "AaAhwh-" his breath hitched like a strange hiccup.
Arthur flinched at the sound of pain. There wasn't a thing he could do. He was helpless, and he was entirely at fault for Merlin's pain. If he'd been more careful, then Merlin wouldn't have had to heal him in the first place-and Uther wouldn't have caught him-and he wouldn't have been in the cells. Thus leading up to-he wouldn't have been shot.
"I'm sorry, Merlin, I got you into this," he whispered.
Merlin frowned. "'S my choice, to heal you," he mumbled, "I got me into," gasp, "this. Do 't 'gain in a heartbeat..." he tried to lighten the tone in his voice, "Though I don' really enjoy the thought of dying," he laughed, but it was too quite, and too high.
"You're not going to die, Merlin," the prince stated with all the certainty he could muster.
Arthur ran a cold, trembling hand over his face. He looked toward the door. Surely they would send Gaius. One could not hold a public execution without people to execute... again, there wouldn't be one, but Uther had planned for one, so they wouldn't dare let Merlin die in the cells like this.
Arthur didn't know much of medicine, or healing, but he knew that Merln's lungs hadn't been hit-other wise he'd likely be dead already, or close. So, that was something. Still... he couldn't see where the bolt had hit-not through the dark.
"Not going to die? Now or tomorrow?" Merlin asked. He didn't want to die by way of public execution. Be made an example of. And he certainly didn't want Arthur to die because of his slip up. Maybe it would be best to die from the bolt. If he survived till tomorrow, to be executed, would it be pyre, hanging, beheading? Just for something he'd been born with? And his friends in Camelot, they wouldn't know that - Uther would never admit it. Would they feel angry, betrayed, because they thought Merlin was stupid enough to practice sorcery in Camelot?
Would Arthur really die because of him? As far as Merlin was concerned, Arthur's life was worth a thousand of his own.
"Not now, or tomorrow. We're going to get out of this, I promise you-whatever it takes." Arthur meant every word he spoke. He would do whatever he had to to save the life of the one who had saved his life so many times before. No matter what.
...Morgana's heels clicked on the stone floor, green dress falling past her ankles. Her dark hair was pulled back in a lose braid. Gwen walked at her side. A disgruntled Gaius passed them, and she was honestly shaken by his appearance. She'd never seen him like that. He didn't even acknowledge Gwen and herself. He looked somehow older, and the hands that carried his medical supplies quaked. "Gaius?" she said softly, and her voice nearly trembled. He didn't so much as glance back.
She sped up her pace.
Gwen walked beside the Lady Morgana, silently keeping in step with her. Gwen's brown eyes stared at the stone floor beneath her as she walked. She didn't know what to say. Merlin had told Morgana and her about his magic a month before-after the incident with the sorcerer known as the Finder. Now-somehow-Uther had discovered as well.
Gwen finally broke the silence between them as she turned to Morgana and asked, "What are we going to do? We can't just leave him and Arthur to die." Her voice was laced with worry. She returned her gaze to the floor, shaking her head and walking on, even as she listened for Morgana's response.
Morgana glanced sideways. "I don't know. We'll think of something," she said, determined. It wasn't right, what Uther did. But now, what lengths was he going to, even threatening to execute his own son? There was a big part of her that wished Flynn had killed him. And that side was growing stronger every day, every moment. She wanted him dead.
Gwen nodded and walked along beside Morgana. She held a basket in her hands-their ticket into the cells-food for the prisoners. She ran through ideas in her head, trying to think of something. She cocked her head to one side and clenched her teeth in frustration. "No matter what we do-even if we get them out, the king will still search for them, won't he?" she asked quietly. Surely there had to be a way.
"Not if he's dead," Morgana's voice started off in the normal lighter tone, then briefly switched darker. She clenched her jaw. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I will speak with him - try to convince him against what he's doing. And if not, we will find a way to get them out."
Gwen's gentle eyes looked up in slight shock. She quickly adjusted and nodded. "Sometimes, I do find myself wishing him dead-it scares me. But Arthur will make a wise, just, and kind king. He'll be nothing like his father-he's already proved it."
They reached the staircase that lead down to the dungeons and headed downward. Gwen quited her voice so as not to be overheard.
"Yes," Morgana agreed quietly. They walked past the guards, and deeper, to where the cells were. Her green dress rustled against the old stray and stones on the floor. She looked at her maidservant, then looked away, green eyes sparkling nervously as they reached the last cells, where Arthur and Merlin were. "Arthur? Merlin?" Yes, that time, her voice did shake. She placed her hands against cold bars, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark light.
Arthur jolted in surprise. He moved from his place by the window to Merlin's cell, and walked to the front of the cell, putting his hands on the bar beside Morgana's. He nodded to her and Gwen.
"Morgana, Gwen-you shouldn't be here, you both know it isn't safe." he still hadn't compeltely recovered from the shock of watching Merlin shot. Luckily, Gaius had come. Merlin would live for tonight-and Arthur would ensure that he would keep living for a long time to come. For the time being, Merlin had been a bit out of it.
Morgana snorted, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head, a small smile gracing her lips, "Has that ever stopped me before?" She sobered again. "What happened? I thought - Gaius believed you wouldn't make it through the night," her voice grew shockingly gentle. She looked him over, as if expecting to see guts spilling out or that he was missing a leg.
Arthur shook his head and sighed. "Merlin-" he stated, figuring that was explanation enough. "Merlin did something-I'll live. Thank you." He nodded to her, then looked to Gwen. She smiled softly and looked down, avoiding his gaze. He turned back to Morgana. "Merlin's been shot. Gaius says he'll be all right-but not if we can't find some way out of this execution penalty." he stated quietly.
Morgana nodded, closing her eyes and for a moment letting her head drop. She breathed sharply, looking back up into blue eyes. Even as she looked at Arthur, she spoke to Gwen. "Gwen, please get horses ready." She started talking to the prince again. "You have to give us time - buy as much as you can. Do you think you can manage that, Arthur?" the last sentence held a sibling-teasing tone.
Gwen nodded, wondering what Morgana had planned. Arthur simply rolled his eyes. "I can manage a lot of things. What are you planning, Morgana?" he asked, narrowing blue eyes to look at her more intently.
She smirked. "I'm sure." Momentarily she looked back at Gwen, "Thank you." She looked back, letting her hands drop against her green skirt. "Just stay alive until I get back. And if Merlin wakes, tell him of this?"
Arthur nodded. "Of course-But Morgana, what are you doing?" He put a hand throught bars and let it rest on her arm. He looked her in the eye and waited.
Meanwhile, Gwen left the basket, which actually did contain food, and turned away, leaving Morgana and Arthur to talk while she herself headed off to the stables to ready Morgana's and her own horse for an unknown journey. She wondered where it was that Morgana intended to go.
Morgana looked at the guards someways behind her, then back to Arthur. Red lips pulled back into a small smile, and she whispered her reply, quiet enough for the other men to never have a clue as to what she planned.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly and he looked doubtful, but he'd promised Merlin he would find a way out-no matter what. He nodded gravely. "Be careful, Morgana," he whispered. "I'll buy you all the time you need." With that, he turned back to the window to Merlin's cell to check on his friend. He nodded once more to Morgana, smiling softly at her, glad that she was willing to help him-and Merlin.