I managed it; updated within a week! Yay! Enjoy!
Agravaine watched the young servant walk away, a deep frown on his face.
The boy had been acting cold towards him ever since the incident with Gaius a few weeks back, though he hadn't said anything to Arthur. Not yet at least.
Agravaine turned to head back to his chambers when another thought occurred to him. Merlin hadn't reacted to the use of the Warlock. Anyone else wouldn't have known what that meant… So had the boy?
Shaking his head, Agravaine grabbed his cloak, and began fastening the clasp around his throat.
Another thing; Merlin hadn't reacted been phased by the term Warlock. Yes, Agravaine had used the term in Court, but still… He wouldn't have expected Merlin to understand that. .
Agravaine's conclusion; Merlin knew more about the situation than he was letting on.
Instantly, he threw off his clock, and set off back down the corridor, towards the Physicians tower. The boy was definitely worth investigating, especially in-light of Gaius' revelation that he knew Emrys. Could it be...?
No. It wasn't possible. But the servant definitely had some kind of connection to Emrys. And Agravaine was determined to find out what it was, one way or another.
XxX
Arthur sat in his chambers, rubbing his hand tiredly across his eyes. Emrys was proving a pain to find. But he couldn't give up; he couldn't afford to. Not when the Kingdom depended on his success.
He sighed and stood up, making his way over to the window and leaning against the frame. The conversation with Merlin was echoing around his mind. How could they not have noticed?
Again Arthur sighed, pressing his head against the frame. He heard the door open behind him, but didn't turn around. There were only two people he knew that didn't knock before entering his chambers. He felt a soft pair of hands touch his arm, and he turned, smiling gently at Guinevere.
'Hey.'
'Hey,' she smiled softly, and led him away from the window. 'Are you OK?'
He shrugged as they walked over to the table, sitting down. She sat down next to him, resting her hand gently against his arm. It was one of his favourite times of the day, when he was able to spend an hour with Guinevere.
'Just hunting an invisible man, whilst trying to fend off my evil half sister.'
She rubbed his arm gently, and he relaxed under her touch. 'You'll find him. I have every faith in you and Gaius, and the knight's.'
Arthur nodded, but continued to stare at the table. She frowned. 'What else…'
'What if we're wrong about this? I could be sending my men after an innocent man. It could just be that he's caught in the middle of a war he wants nothing to with. I don't know. Maybe Merlin's rubbing off on me.'
Gwen laughed, and rested her head against his arm. Arthur sighed as he leant against her, closing his eyes slightly. This was definitely one of his favourite times of the day.
XxX
Agravaine approached the door quietly, taking care not to make a sound. He could see the light filtering from cracks in the door, and he reached for the handle. He stopped himself, however, when he heard Gaius' voice.
'…Keep lying to him much longer. Have you heard anything back from Iseldir?'
'He said something about spreading a rumour that Emrys is hiding in another Kingdom, but I don't want to put another druid clan in danger. Whilst Agravaine and Morgana are here, we can keep track of their movements.'
There was a soft chink, which Agravaine guessed meant that they were eating, before Merlin spoke again. 'Agravaine asked me to go behind Arthur's back, and report to him.'
'So he is looking to kill Emrys. That is a problem.'
'You think? We aren't going to be able to keep this hidden for much longer.'
That was what Agravaine had wanted to hear. He straightened up, and hurried away; a plan already forming in his mind.
Gaius and Merlin were protecting Emrys. One of Merlin's friends had wanted to spread a rumour that Emrys was further away, which meant that the Warlock was in Camelot. There was no doubt about it. And if what Morgana had said was true, then Emrys wouldn't hesitate if he felt if his people were in danger. A wicked smile crossed Agravaine's face, terrifying the servant walking towards him.
He knew what he had to do.
So, a relatively short chapter this evening, but it's just a build up to the next chapter, which I am very excited about! The next chapter should be up next Saturday, HOWEVER, if I get lots and lots of reviews, I will do, not one update, but two, in one night!
This isn't bribery! If it was, it would have a cherry on top.
Please review and let me know what you thought!
TTFN
Valykriexx