So I got a review saying my grammar needed work…well you know, it probably does. But I'm a full time Uni student, I don't have time to go over and over checking my work, because…

1. I'm not that sad.

2. This is fanfiction….if you want to read perfect works that's been edited over and over again why don't you try reading actual published works….

Yeah…In other words fuck off! =]

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin…I DO OWN THAT MY GRAMMAR IS TERRIBLE!

Well so much for trying to make us welcome, Merlin thought spitefully. How dare Arthur imply that he wasn't allowed to make friends here? He wasn't the boss of him, Cenred was, and Cenred had not said he couldn't have friends, and if Gwaine wanted to take the time to get to know him, then why shouldn't he?

All his life people had shied away from him, the only people that stood by him were Will and Archer, and it was nice to have someone else for a change. Not that Will and Archer weren't amazing, they were. Still it was nice to know that he could have other friends. Arthur had seemed to be warming up to him, they had spoke that night on the balcony without killing each other, and he had seemed impressed with his bareback riding. As soon as he went near Gwaine though he had gotten antagonistic.

Why was that? He had said they should stop flirting; Gwaine wasn't flirting he was just being friendly and genuinely trying to teach Merlin how to fight. Maybe Arthur thought Merlin would try and enchant Gwaine somehow or bring him over to the dark side.

Merlin sighed, it was all very ridiculous, and that didn't stop him from being apocalyptically angry.

'Remember, he's a sorcerer and he's here for a reason' Arthur had said. Well if he wanted him to be an unsociable scary sorcerer then that was exactly what he would be.

He sat at the window in the council room with his hood up refusing to talk to anyone whilst Will and Archer gathered around the round table with Arthur and his knights pouring over maps and laws as they prepared to go over the treaty.

Merlin refused to get involved, Cenred had said to leave everything to Will and Archer, and he was just there for effect and to intimidate if Arthur got bossy. So that's what he was going to do. Deep down he may like and admire the young handsome king, but that would not stop him from doing his job. Cenred held his life and his friend's life in chains, we would not allow himself to like Arthur, and therefore he grudgingly kept hold of his anger, and refused to participate in the discussion and instead stared moodily out of the window at the courtyard below.

Oh he was still listening, of course he was. Despite him not participating he was listening to the moment when Arthur would object. But otherwise he kept his mouth shut and his hood up.

Arthur watched Merlin brood out of the corner of his eye, they had set up to discuss the treaty but so far Merlin had not participated in the discussion he just stubbornly sat at the window and refused to talk to anyone. Arthur knew it was his fault, he had been rude and stubborn, but he couldn't help it, seeing Gwaine's arms around the sorcerer and made him increasingly upset and he admitted now jealous. He could no longer deny that he was attracted to the ethereal sorcerer; he sure knew how to pick them…unattainable, beautiful, and above all dangerous.

'I'm afraid Cenred will be taking your outlying villages' Archer said pointing to a place on the map.

Arthur turned to look back to the map and saw where Archer was pointing. Fury went through his system that village was more of a town and supplied Camelot with good animals for slaughter.

'Cenred wants our food supply?' Arthur asked.

'I'm afraid so' Will said staring blankly back at Arthur.

'Might as well just sign him the deed to Camelot' Arthur said crossing his arms.

'Look your majesty you wanted this peace talk, you flied the white flag not us. If you don't agree to these terms, then we go straight back to war' Will said.

'There's no need to relish it' Arthur said.

'We're just doing our jobs Arthur,' Archer reasoned.

'Fine' Arthur said.

'Cenred is also interested in this part to the east' Will said again pointing it out.

Whilst this was going on Merlin watched the sky outside steadily get darker with a sense of foreboding as a headache started near the back of his eyes. He sighed and rested his head against the planes.

'Alright Merlin?' Will asked.

'Peachy,' Merlin replied not moving from his spot.

A tapping at the window broke him out of his trance and Merlin's black crow was staring back at him its eyes dark and somehow condescending that managed somehow to Merlin to look like an accurate impression of Cenred. The tapping had brought the attention of the others in the room and Archer crossed to him as he opened the window and the black crow hopped on to his arm.

Merlin deftly untied the note read it and sighed then gave it to Archer who read it a looked at Merlin with a bleak expression.

'What?' said Arthur mockingly 'decided he can't be bothered and wants to go back to war?'

'No, Cenred is invested in these peace talks he likes the idea of Camelot being Essetir's dog body too much' Will said.

Merlin crossed the room for the first time that evening and handed the note to Will who read it.

'Well…' Will said 'Best get to it'

Merlin sighed and crossed back to the window where he released the crow back to the sky.

'What, no reply or report this time?' Leon asked.

'No, these are direct orders, there's no responding, this time we just do as we're told' Archer said his eyes cast down.

'Well what is it?' Arthur asked.

'Cenred has been informed that there is a part of your land that is a significant diamond and jewel mine' Will said.

Arthur felt his stomach drop and his blood turn cold. How on earth did Cenred know about that? It was one of Camelot's best kept secrets. Uther had discovered the mines not long into his reign and had set about harvesting the jewels and exporting them. People across the five kingdoms paid a lot for them. They were one of the reasons Camelot was such a rich kingdom.

'How the hell does he know about them?' Arthur fumed throwing his hands up in the air.

'Cenred's council is very talented' Archer replied.

'I thought you were his council' Arthur said gesturing at them.

'We are, for matters of battle and magic, and intimidation' Archer replied.

'This just gets better and better' Arthur said.

'What did you expect?' Will asked 'that we were going to march in here and explain all of Cenred's secrets?'

'How can you work for a tyrant like him?' Arthur asked shaking his head.

'You know why' Will said his eyes flickering to Merlin.

Merlin still hadn't moved despite the commotion.

'What does he want?' Arthur asked turning back to the table resolutely.

'The mines and the workers' Archer said.

'Basically he wants Camelot's source of income' Leon said.

'You have other forms of income' Archer replied.

'This is our major one, Cenred knows that' Leon said 'He's not an idiot.'

Archer had no reply.

'So what do we do when our people starve and we have no money? No money to import or trade, we become sitting ducks and then Cenred will invade anyway' Arthur said.

'It's what he wants' Archer replied.

'No, absolutely not' Arthur said standing to his full height 'I won't do it.'

Merlin sighed and turned around pulling down his hood he walked slowly towards Arthur his eyes narrowed.

'Then Cenred would have you know, that the battle will resume immediately and that this time I am to enter it' Merlin said staring straight into Arthur's eyes which opened in shock.

Fear and despair where what he sensed. Merlin also felt Arthur's anger at his situation and at Merlin, Will and Archer. He didn't understand how they could tie themselves to someone so evil.

'You weren't in it before?' Arthur asked incredulous, 'Soldiers were using magic'

He remembered the battle, the sorcerers had been easy to kill they weren't that powerful but for everyone he killed he lost five of his knights. They were what gave Cenred his edge. How powerful was Merlin? This boy had his own legend and his power was meant to be the strongest in the world. It wasn't a matter of winning a battle against Merlin, which would be futile. Arthur just wondered how long he would last.

'Not very long' Merlin answered reading his eyes.

Arthur turned in frustration and punched the nearby wall.

'Please' Arthur said turning back.

'What?' Merlin asked. He had lost his anger, now he only felt sympathy for the young king who was about to lose the majority of his kingdom.

'Please don't' Arthur said his eyes begging.

'I have no choice' Merlin said holding up his hands.

Arthur walked up towards him and placed his hands on Merlin's shoulders ignoring the sudden tensing of Archer and Will who glared.

'There is always a choice' Arthur said.

'Not for me' Merlin said.

'You would slaughter hundreds of people?' Arthur asked incredulous, he knew magic was evil but he had hoped against hope that Merlin wasn't.

'I would lose my friends and my life' Merlin said.

'Your life is more important than my peoples?' Arthur asked ignoring the gasps from Archer and Will.

'Of course not' Merlin said. 'But what do you think will happen if I give in?'

Arthur stared back.

'If I give up my life? My friends? Others would replace us eventually; Cenred has the means to find them, talented people all over the world. Maybe none as powerful as me, but there would be someone. And maybe you wouldn't all perish as quickly but it would only be a matter of time. I committing suicide wouldn't help you Arthur, I would have done it a long time ago if I had thought that would change things. But it will change nothing, and I won't subject someone else, someone else who is having a life in innocence and happiness, I won't turn their lives upside down when it wouldn't change anything'

Arthur was impressed with his bravery, that he was willing to give up his life even if it wasn't for his cause. But this did nothing to stop his despair, he gripped his hair then returned his hands to Merlin's shoulder and gripped them tightly ignoring how good his shape felt under his hands.

'Then why not help us?' Arthur asked.

'Cenred would figure it out and he would kill me' Merlin said bringing his hands up to his neck fingering the silver there.

'There must be a way around them' Arthur whispered tracing his finger over the silver himself ignoring his audience and Merlin's sudden intake of breath.

'I've looked for nothing else all my imprisonment, there is none' Merlin said.

Arthur turned away and refused to acknowledge the tears that started to threaten to fall.

'Arthur' Merlin said placing a hand on his back 'sign the paper and I will try to hold Cenred off for a couple of years, maybe time will show a solution'

'How are we meant to go up against you? Two years will make no difference' Arthur said.

'I'm sorry Arthur' Merlin said.

'You should be, if it wasn't for you, Cenred wouldn't have this kind of power, you're an anomaly, a freak amongst even your own kind, and you shouldn't have even been born!' Arthur yelled ignoring Merlin's hurt look and pushed with all his strength and watched as Merlin fell back and hit the floor.

In an instant Will had drawn his sword and Archer had notched an arrow. Will threw Arthur up against the wall and held his sword up to his neck and Archer moved to stand in front of Merlin.

'Move and he dies!' Will said threatening the oncoming knights who immediately stopped their movements.

'Will,' Merlin said quietly from his place on the floor where Gaius was looking at his head.

'Don't' Merlin whispered.

Will stepped away and moved to Merlin's side to check his head, and Arthur watched on in guilt. He hadn't meant to hurt Merlin, the boy he was slowly coming to care about. He hadn't meant his harsh words either. Merlin deserved life, it was Cenred who didn't.

Arthur fell to his knees and gripped his hair as his tears dripped down his face.

'I'm sorry' he whispered.

Merlin sighed and crawled over to him and gently put his arms around the sobbing king ignoring the way the knights and Will and Archer looked at each other in surprise.

'Don't be' Merlin said stroking his hair 'I know your pain'

Arthur sniffed 'What else do you know?' refusing to look at him.

'Not much' Merlin said confused. Was there something else Arthur didn't want him to know?

'There's nothing I can do, that we can do?' Arthur asked.

'No' Merlin said.

Arthur sighed and got to his feet awkwardly withdrawing himself from Merlin's arms. As he rose however Merlin staggered back and clutched at his head which was odd he hadn't hit it that hard.

'Merlin?' Will asked moving to steady him.

'I don't know' Merlin said.

'Maybe you should sit down' Archer said moving to his other side guiding him to a chair.

'What is it?' Arthur asked.

'I don't know it feels like there's someone trying to get in my head' Merlin said clutching at it.

'What do you mean?' Archer asked.

'Someone's trying to contact me' Merlin said trying to concentrate on the noise that just seemed to be building and building behind his eyelids.

'A druid?' Archer asked knowing that druids had the talent for mind talk.

'No' Merlin whispered.

Sweat began to gather on his forehead and Gaius came forward to examine him resting a hand on his forehead.

'You're burning up, you didn't hit your head that hard though when you fell' Gaius said.

'No it's not that' Merlin whispered clenching his eyes shut.

He focused on the noise, trying to turn it into some semblance of voice. The magic of his chains must be blocking it somehow but he strained to push past them, to let the voice enter his head. What he heard was astonishing.

'It can't be' Merlin whispered looking at Arthur in shock.

'What?' He asked.

'Arthur, what exactly do you have beneath the catacombs of Camelot?' Merlin asked.

Aaaannnd I think I'll leave it there lol. Hehe

You know the drill!