MerlinMorgana1579: Mhm! Yes, I wanted her to be accepting in this fic, and it sort of fit, so... What do you mean Mordred Uther? Kill him, you mean? Hahaha, no, I thought the same thing, play match maker if you'd like... *Laughs*
Mersan123: Yes, even more so in this chapter, sorry to say... He's not a good guy in this fic, but he wasn't in the show, in my opinion, so, anyways! Let the show go on, hope you enjoy this chapter! :D
CHARLES CHUKU: YUp yup... Thank you for reviewing, and even more thanks for reading! :D Here's the next chapter... (Obviously, *Snorts, laughs at self* I like to state the obvious, so...)
Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, Merlin actually thinks sort of the same thing later on in this chapter, so... Thank you!
Hannah Lynn McDonald: I suppose, with his wife, I get it, but for whatever reasons, he's one of the few characters that I never even pitied. I normally pity about every bad character at least once, but nope, not him, *Shrugs* Strange, I guess? Maybe? Anyways... Haha. Yeah, no, he doesn't, *Laughs*
It was several hours later, mid-day, perhaps. Merlin put the back of his hand on his forehead, and rested the other over the wound, lightly pressing against the bandages. His lower jaw inched to the right before snapping back together, teeth clacking. He repeated the same motion several times, the teeth hitting each other being the only sound in his cell. He was restless, and he wanted to pace. Pain under his ribs reminded him why he wasn't already doing just that.
Arthur was staring out into the courtyard, pondering how they were going to die. He hoped it would be quick-not burning or hanging. So... beheading really. The prince shook his head, snapping himself out of those thoughts. It was foolish. Morgana had a plan. She would make it in time-he had to believe that, for himself, and for Merlin.
"How are you-considering the circumstances?" Arthur asked quietly, pushing away from his spot by the window and looking into Merlin's cell. It was still dark in the cells, despite the sun slowly climbing in the sky. He waited for Merlin to respond.
"Not great - and you?" Merlin asked, lifting his head just enough to momentarily look at Arthur, before he let it drop back onto the pillow.
The prince sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I'm alive-and I mean for us to stay that way. Morgana will come through, I trust her."
"I know. As do I," Merlin briefly remembered the times the Great Dragon had warned him of the 'witch'. She was a seer, but after everything that had happened since Kalian, everything had changed. He'd even taught her several spells, which she'd picked up easy enough. Gaius, Gwen, Morgana, Arthur, himself, they all knew each other's secrets, and every one of them was loyal. To a fault, at times. They had to rely on each other in this place they lived. This time.
Arthur nodded. It was truly good to have people one could trust-most of all Merlin. So he was unwilling that Merlin would die because of him. He'd previously thought that if worse came to worst, he would fake Merlin's death, and tell his father that he'd had a change of heart-killed Merlin, and wanted to be back at his father's side. Still, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. It would be like banishing Merlin, and he didn't deserve that. Besides, Arthur didn't want to lie to his father-then again...
He shook the thought off, refocusing. "Merlin, I'm sorry I got you into this. It's my fault isn't it?"
Merlin frowned in confusion. "It is not your fault, Arthur," he returned. "It's mine, and it's Uther's, but it's not yours. I was careless, and now we're both sorry for it. But it was Uther's decisions that got us here. What have you done that makes you think it's you fault? What looks like it might have been caused by your actions? Can you tell me something? Can you actually? When you think about it, the whole picture, not a small detail of the painting?"
Arthur smiled half-heartedly. "I've been careless too. We both know it." He sighed and leaned againt the cold wall of his cell.
Merlin didn't answer for a long while. "Well, since it's a personality trait, it can't possibly be as bad," he spoke quietly, his voice steady; but laced with a more light-hearted, bantering tone.
Arthur rolled his eyes and huffed. "Hardly-that makes you being a clumsy idiot a personality trait as well?" he asked, trying to sound as teasing as he could manage in their situation.
"Em - " Merlin pressed his lips together, "I'd say more part of my charm." Footsteps echoing, coming towards them, pulled his attention away.
The door to the dungeon creaked open, and the king strode in. He wore a glowering expression. His eyes were dark and full of nothing but rage. He walked toward the cells and stood before the one the sorcerer was in.
"Father..." Arthur started.
"Do not speak to me! I do not know you!" Uther shouted, pointing an accusing finger in at Arthur, then turning toward the other prisoner. "What have you to say for yourself-sorcerer?"
Merlin struggled to a sitting position, and by the time he succeeded he was out of breath and leaning back against the wall, pressing harder against the slowly healing wound. He glared, defiant, keeping words from rolling off of his tongue.
Uther's lips curled in a grimace-like smile as he watched the traitor struggle to sit up. "You will answer the king when you are spoken to-traitor. Is that understood?" he asked. Uther moved forward, gripping the bars until his knuckles turned white. His face wore an expression of hate that wasn't natural.
"Yes, Sire," Merlin ground out, trying to hold back cocky comments. Hey, insulting the prince had worked out well, but he doubted it would work out if he did the same to the king.
Uther nodded his approval. Then the anger returned. "You-you betrayed me. I was such a fool not to see it. I trusted you in the fight against magic..." he ran one hand over the cold sweat on his forehead. "...I was so blind. You were the enemy-you, and other menaces like you are the poison in the world. If I could, I would see you-you who are less than human-destroyed. There is no place for you in Camelot."
"Father!" Arthur exclaimed, moving forward and gripping the bars of his cell.
"ARTHUR!" Uther held up a hand. "I will hear nothing from you-you are no one to me. Do not speak." He shook his head. His only son was not but a liar, a traitor, and a disappointment.
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "I have more humanity than you - so doesn't that make me more human?" he challenged, words rushed together.
Uther grimaced and sucked air in between clenched teeth, then let it all back out in a hiss. "No-it does not. You have shown me one thing. I have not yet completed my task-I have not been ruthless enough in my pursuit of your kind. Also, this situation has taught me that..." he paused to glance at Arthur for a moment. "...I cannot trust anyone, not even those close to me, whom I had thought worthy of my trust."
Merlin leaned forward, frustration rising. He yelped in pain, wrapping his arms around his abdomen and letting his head thump back against the wall, sucking in gasps through his mouth. He snapped his jaws together, pale, shaking fingers gripping the edges of his jacket sleeves until the discomfort subsided.
Arthur looked in at Merlin, worry lining his features as he heard the sound of pain from his friend. The prince looked back at Uther, anger rising in his own blue eyes. How could his father be so blind? So hateful? What made him into this-this monster? The man outside the cell was hardly recognizable as his father. he was consumed by rage.
Uther looked in at Merlin with an unconcerned expression. "I do not pity you. You deserve no pity. You worked your evil in my kingdom, and you took my son down with you. He has been destroyed by your magic, and now, I will once again purge my kingdom."
"This is -" Merlin didn't finish his whispered sentence, only blew through into his next, "I've saved your life, I've saved Camelot, I've saved the lives of the ones around you while you sat back demanding executions of my kin, of my friends," his voice shook in pain, or anger, or sadness, or maybe all of the above, "Your own son shows his own opinion on something, he disagrees with one thing that you say and you hand him over to the executioners! He has his own life, he deserves to live it the way he believes is right! But his belief's aren't aligned perfectly with yours, and you disown him! You hate him for having a mind of his own!
If you want to kill me, kill me! But you're going to murder your own flesh and blood? You kill men, women and children for their very existence! If you had known what I was, what I am, you would have sent men to Ealdor! Would you have hurt my mother when she tried to stop you? Would you have forced Arthur to watch as I burned, or as the sound of my neck breaking filled Camelot's courtyard? And he would never have even known what could have been, the future that would have been built - but if I've learned one thing, it is that fate does not just let go - destiny has a way of coming about one way or another. Perhaps it would have made Arthur realize his place as The Once and Future King. There are a million different paths, but they all end the same way! Albion, the return of my kind," Merlin stopped, trying to hide his trembling. Perhaps he had been holding emotions and thoughts in for too long.
"And how does it feel - to know that nothing you do can stop destiny?"
Uther was fuming now. "There will never be magic here! Never. It will die with you! Both of you. How I wish Arthur had not betrayed me-that he would be standing by my side in this-but he has made his choice clear, and there is a law against treason. For his treason, he is given death. He knew that when he allied himself with the likes of you. I will see you burned, and you will die in ashes knowing that there will be a second Purge, and it will be greater than the first. My efforts will be doubled. The druids, Ealdor, for harboring one of more sorcerers... they will all burn by my hand. Do not think your supposed destiny will save Arthur-or yourself."
"Father! The people of Ealdor are innocent! They've done nothing wrong, they didn't know. Why do you hate s-"
"ENOUGH! I will not hear another word from you!" Uther's face was red from anger as he shook a fist at the young man.
Merlin's rage turned to regret, and dread crossed his expression. Gaius had always warned him about his mouth running away from him. Agony from the wound temporarily blinded him, but he stayed in silence, shaken. A second Purge. His mother, the druids... He pulled his legs sluggishly onto the bed, resting his elbows against his knees and pressing his palms into his temples, quaking fingers curling, nails scrapping at his scalp.
Even with Morgana's plan, what were they supposed to do? What after escaping?
"You would kill him? You would kill Arthur?" He wouldn't stop pushing that one question. Desperation started clawing up his spine. Even if Morgana got there in time, the Purge, hiding, banishment. Death, pain, fire. And somehow, that's what it all came back to. Would Uther go through with it in the end? Yes. Yes, he would.
"Yes; He left me no choice." The king's voice was cold and held no emotion whatsoever. He turned on a heel and strode away, fists clenched at his sides. He left the cells, slamming the large door behind him.
Arthur sighed, sniffed, and kept back the hurt and frustration knowing that his father truly didn't hold any care for him. He rubbed at his eyes, wiping away the tears that slowly formed in them. "They'll come," he said, glad that at least his voice sounded strong.
"Arthur - I'm sorry, for not... For... If I hadn't shown you my magic, if I'd somehow avoided the 'mouse' situation, we wouldn't be here. Maybe I told you to soon - we could have avoided this, and... " He let his arms drop to his sides, one knee unbending, booted foot hitting the floor. He rested one arm on the other, still-bent knee. Merlin was confident that they wouldn't die this way. It was a public execution - the people loved Arthur more than they feared their current king. They trusted and hoped for peace in the future, peace brought by Arthur. They wouldn't just stand by and watch, surely?
Arthur shrugged. "No, Merlin, like you said-something about destiny I think. It has a way of doing what it wants, and giving you no say either way... don't blame yourself."
Merlin realized, up to that point, he couldn't remember admitting his frustrations or doubts to Arthur before. He pushed the thought away, going back to the conversation. "Yes. Thank you."