Chapter 2

Arthur paced outside of the guest chambers containing the woman who was the image of his dead mother, waiting for answers. After she had collapsed in the council chambers, she had been taken here to be seen to by Gaius, who claimed that she was merely exhausted and stressed.

When Gaius had informed him that she had woken, Arthur, not sure that he could face her, had acquiesced to Agravaine's request to go in and speak to her first. But he was now regretting the decision, as waiting and not knowing were almost too much to bear.

His heart longed for nothing more than for it to truly be his mother but he knew that such a thing was so unlikely that he tried as hard as he could to block off any false hope. A more likely explanation was that this was a trick of sorcery, or even a long-lost sister of his mother, or a strange coincidence of a nearly identical stranger. The possible explanations swirled in Arthur's mind as he waited for Agravaine's verdict.

When the door finally clicked, Arthur's heart nearly stopped as his uncle emerged from the room.

"Is she…" he started.

"It's her," said Agravaine confidently.

Arthur could hardly believe his ears.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," Agravaine said, sounding completely sure of himself, "she remembers everything of our childhoods. Things that only the real Ygraine could know. She has been alive all this time. She can explain it all. She wants to see you."

Arthur felt dizzy. His mother had been alive all this time and he was going to meet her, speak to her.

Agravaine gave him an encouraging nod and Arthur slowly entered the room and shut the door behind him.

Ygraine was sitting up in the bed. Although her features were as Arthur remembered from portraits of her and Morgause's illusion, there were lines on her face and other signs of aging, as though she had indeed lived through the last two and a half decades.

"Mother?" Arthur asked hesitantly, approaching her.

"Arthur!" Ygraine cried, noticing his presence for the first time.

There were tears in her eyes as she stood from the bed, quickly closed the distance between herself and Arthur and embraced him.

"My son," she said, crying into his shoulder, "I thought I would never see you again. The last time I held you, you were a tiny baby and you've grown into a man now. And I missed it all. I wasn't there for you."

Arthur found there were tears pouring from his own eyes as his mother rambled through sobs. He moved to hold her at arm's length so he could see her properly.

"I thought you were dead, mother," he said.

"Everyone believed that," she said, "but it doesn't matter now. What matters is that I am finally with you again. I love you my son, I have loved you through all these year. Every day I wished that I would one day find you again. It is all that has kept me going."

Arthur embraced his mother once again and felt her trembling in him arms. He led her over to the bed and the two of them sat down, basking in simply being together.

When Arthur felt the shaking in her hand under his stop and heard her breathing, which had been punctures with sobs, return to normal, he ventured to ask, "What happened to you, mother?"

"I was held captive for all these years," she said in a small voice, "by a man named Emrys."

Arthur felt like he had been slapped in the face the second he heard the name.

"He is a devious trickster," she continued, "who cares about nothing but power and manipulates people for his own gain. Through magic and deceit he has been ruling Camelot from behind the scenes for decades without anyone being any the wiser."

Arthur felt his heart sinking. Had he really fallen for the lies of a charlatan? Trusted the man who had imprisoned his mother?

"The day I gave birth to you, he ripped you from my arms and dragged me away to a cold, dark dungeon. He bragged to me that he had tricked Uther and the whole kingdom into believing that I had been killed by a witch and sparked a war between those with magic and without. He secretly used his own magic to help Uther destroy all the other sorcerers in the kingdom so that no one with the power to detect him remained. Then he cast enchantment upon enchantment on Uther, making him act according to Emrys' whims. He would visit me in my cell and tell me of the things that he had made Uther do, and how he was grooming you to be his perfect puppet king."

Ygraine wiped a tear from her eye and Arthur put his arm comfortingly around her shoulder, all the while cursing himself for being so easily deceived.

"One day he came and told me that Uther had been gravely injured. Although he had protected Uther for years, he now believed that you were old enough to be his public face and would be much easier to manipulate than your father. He knew that you were planning to use magic to heal your father, so he placed a charm around Uther's neck that would reverse the effects of any healing magic and magnify it tenfold. He killed your father, Arthur, and laughed about it."

Arthur had to force himself to relax his muscles to keep himself from gripping his mother painfully, but the anger coursing through him was difficult to control.

"A few weeks ago, Emrys was away for a few days. I managed to pick the lock on my cell and escape. All I could think of was finding you my son. I'm so glad I did. I was so scared."

Arthur embraced his mother again and held her tight.

"You don't need to be afraid anymore," he said, "I will protect you and make Emrys pay for everything he has done."

"No, my son," Ygraine pulled back to look him in the eyes, "he is too powerful. I'm sure he already knows that I am here. He told me that if I ever tried to escape he would kill me. I'm afraid I will never be safe again."

"You will," Arthur assured her, "I am going to find this Emrys and make sure he can never hurt you again."

He stood up.

"Rest now. I'll make sure there are guards outside your door. Don't worry and leave everything to me."

After Arthur left the room he sent Merlin, who he had found waiting outside the room for him, to fetch a dozen guards. He placed them strategically in the surrounding rooms and hallways so that Emrys could not take out one without giving away his position to the rest, who could surround him and attack from behind. Arthur was taking no chances with his mother's life, as he left to call an emergency meeting of his councillors and knights.

He summarized the situation and informed the council that Emrys was someone who lived in Camelot. He gave the order for a full search of every room in the castle and every home in the town for signs of magic. It was the first time since his father's rule that such a search had been carried out, as Arthur believed that such violation of his people's privacy was unwarranted, but he was going to have to use drastic measures if he was going to be able to stop Emrys. The man had murdered his father, imprisoned his mother and manipulated his kingdom and Arthur would not suffer him to live another day if he could help it.

The people he had summoned to the council had been shocked and horrified by the knowledge of what Emrys had been doing for years, but none more so than Merlin, who fell into step behind Arthur as he left the council chambers to return to his mother and assure her that a search for Emrys was underway.

"Are you sure about this, Arthur?" Merlin asked.

"She's my mother," he said coolly. Merlin had better not be implying that his mother had lied to him.

"Something doesn't feel right."

Arthur ignored Merlin and his annoying feelings.

"Are you sure that's really your mother."

"Yes," said Arthur angrily.

"But you only have Agravaine's word for it."

"And is that not enough for you?"

"Don't you think it is suspicious that…" began Merlin.

Arthur whirled around to face him.

"Be careful how to finish that sentence, Merlin. Agravaine is my uncle and I will not hear a word against him."

Merlin seemed to swallow his words and Arthur turned back to his march through the hallways. When he reached his goal, he turned to Merlin and said more coldly than he had intended to, "Stay out here."

Arthur opened the door quietly in case his mother was sleeping, but when he entered the room the sight he saw was like a punch to the gut. Ygraine lay on the bed in a pool of her own blood, which was dripping down the covers onto the floor. The hilt of a dagger was sticking out of her stomach.

Merlin was already rushing forwards, but the look on his face as he neared her crushed any hope that Arthur had left. Merlin leaned over her, feeling her pulse and then slowly shook his head at Arthur.

His mother was dead. So soon after finding out that she was still alive, she had been taken from him. He had promised to protect her and had failed. In her last moments she must had known nothing but despair, knowing she could not escape from Emrys.

Emrys.

A burning hatred filled Arthur like nothing he had ever known before. That man – that sorcerer – had taken everything from him. Emrys had murdered both his parents in cold blood. He had used Arthur as a puppet from the day he had been born. Arthur swore that if it was the last thing he did he would make Emrys pay.

He turned to the guards that had been outside the door and were now standing in the doorway, looking shocked.

"Where is Emrys? Why didn't you stop him?" he shouted.

"My Lord, nobody has entered this room since you left," one guard replied.

"You were supposed to be protecting her!" he yelled, before attempting to lower his voice to a tone of authority rather than anger and continuing, "Sound the warning bell. Search the entire palace. I want him found!"

The guards ran to do his bidding and Arthur turned back to his mother, found that he couldn't bear looking at the sight and turned away again.

"Arthur…" Merlin began quietly, but Arthur glared at him and he fell quiet.

Arthur turned away and marched out of the room. He heard Merlin following a few steps behind him in solemn silence. Even through his current blinding anger, Arthur felt a tug of affection for Merlin and his unfaltering loyalty. Not many people would be brave enough to stick around Arthur with the current mood he was in. Even though his entire rule had been a fabrication of Emrys, at least he knew Merlin's loyalty and friendship was genuine.

In a short time, Arthur managed to track down Leon, who was in charge of the search for Emrys he had ordered at the council and who would have also been informed by now of the reason the alarm bells were ringing.

"Well?" he asked.

"We have begun the search of the castle. So far, nothing has been found. Guards are patrolling the hallways and are on the lookout for anyone showing any signs of suspicious behaviour. Nobody was seen near the scene at the time of the incident but we are still questioning the servants to see if anyone knows anything."

Arthur was struck with a sense of futility. If Emrys was able to avoid detection for decades and slip past a dozen guards into a locked room, surely finding him by searching the castle would be impossible. Arthur was desperate for action. He could not stand the thought that his parent's murderer was at large and that there was nothing he could do about it. He needed to face him, no matter what the cost.

Then an idea occurred to him and although he was clutching at straws, he was willing to try anything at the moment. He dismissed Leon back to the search and started heading in a new direction.

Merlin, perhaps sensing his sudden state of determination, jogged a few steps to catch up to him and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going back to the forest of Magnaroth."

"Why?"

"I met Emrys there before, maybe I will again."

"Arthur, are you insane?"

"I have to face him."

"That's not what I meant. What makes you think he will even be there?"

Arthur didn't answer. He knew that Merlin had a point, but it was all he had to go on. They had reached the door to his chambers and Arthur stopped walking and opened the door but didn't go through, before turning to Merlin and saying, "You will stay here."

"No, I'm coming with you."

"It is too dangerous, Merlin."

"Which is why I need to come with you!"

Arthur had expected Merlin's protests and instead of arguing further, he grabbed Merlin by the arm and shoved him into his chambers. As Merlin was still stumbling forward, Arthur pulled the door shut and locked it with his keys from the outside.

"Arthur," Merlin shouted from the other side of the door.

"I said you will stay here Merlin!" said Arthur, and he walked away, ignoring the sounds of Merlin shouting his name and pounding on the door.

He hated to resort to such measures, but the quest he was embarking on was for him alone. It was likely there would be no coming back and Merlin was an innocent party in all of this. Arthur would not allow him to be killed needlessly or caught up in the machinations of Emrys. Knowing that Merlin and the other people he loved were safely out of the way back in Camelot would allow him to do what needed to be done.

Arthur made no attempt to be discrete as he ordered a horse saddled and rode out of the citadel. Many would no doubt wonder why he was leaving on his own at a time like this, but if Emrys was still in the castle, he wanted to make sure the man knew that he was leaving and followed him.

Arthur had to admit he didn't have much of a plan, other than to return to where he had first met Emrys and hope that the cursed man would appear there again. If he didn't show himself, perhaps Arthur would go and throw himself in danger of being eaten by some oversized insect in the hopes of drawing him out.

However, Arthur did not even get near the forest of Magnaroth. He had barely entered the woods outside the castle when a cloaked figure stepped out from behind a tree onto the path ahead of him. The sight of Emrys, standing there calmly in front of Arthur the very night he had murdered his mother made his blood boil.

"You wanted to speak to me," he said as though he still believed Arthur to be blind to his treachery.

Arthur dismounted from his horse and drew his sword, approaching his parent's killer.

"Arthur, I swear it wasn't me!" Emrys at least had the decency to sound slightly panicked now, "I didn't kill your mother!"

Arthur had spent a lifetime being taken in by this man's lies and he wasn't going to listen to them for an instant longer. With a lunge forward, he swung his sword, aiming to cut right through the sorcerer's dark heart.

Emrys, moving with surprising speed, managed to dodge out of the way in time, forcing Arthur to catch himself from stumbling forward from his momentum and spin around to face Emrys again.

Emrys, who was now backing away from Arthur, spoke again, "Nothing your mother said to you was true! She was a shade! A spirit conjured from the dead and controlled by a sorcerer!"

Arthur blocked out the lies and swung at Emrys again. This time Emrys lifted his hand and used magic to cause Arthur to fly several feet backwards and land on his back.

Arthur climbed to his feet, knowing Emrys' power meant that he would not be able to get within range of the man, he shouted in frustration, "You killed my mother! And my father! You heartless… you evil…"

Arthur's speech was losing coherence. His inability to avenge his parent's deaths, even with their murderer right in front of him was overwhelming his mind.

"I didn't do it, Arthur!"

"Enough of your lies!" he shouted, "As if I could trust a man who hides behind a cloak! If you had a single shred of decency in you, you would at least let me look into the eyes of my parent's killer!"

"I told you I didn't…" Emrys started.

But Arthur cut him off a roar of frustration. He would hear no more lies and false rationalizations from this deceiver. He needed satisfaction from his parent's killer and was furious enough right now to do anything to get it. In desperation he drew a dagger from his belt and held it to his own throat.

"You need me to be your puppet, don't you! I swear to you that if you don't show me who you are right now I will slit my own throat!"

Arthur didn't even know whether he was bluffing or not. At the moment he felt reckless enough to actually do it. To hell with it, he though, if his death would even be an inconvenience to Emrys it felt like it would be worth it at this point. Arthur gripped the blade firmly and set his stance to make sure he wouldn't flinch; he wanted this done in one clean cut.

"Wait!"

Arthur stilled his hand, and held his breath as he watched the man in front of him reach up and lower the hood of his cloak to reveal his face.

No.

It couldn't be.

Merlin.

But it must be a trick. Emrys had just used magic to make himself look like Merlin. It couldn't be his most faithful friend who had killed his parents and manipulated him, terrorizing his kingdom from the shadows. It couldn't be.

"Arthur," the man said in Merlin's voice, "please, lower the knife."

Arthur had forgotten that he was still holding a dagger to his own throat and slowly lowered his hand, still too stunned by the sight in front of him to really register what he was doing.

Emrys was Merlin. Even as his mind rejected the idea, it also made a sort of sense. Who else would be in a better position to manipulate Arthur and rule his kingdom from the shadows? It had been Merlin who had told him the story of Will that had confirmed Emrys' words. It had been Merlin who had tried to convince him not to believe Ygraine. It was all falling together. The veil had been torn and Arthur was finally seeing Merlin for who he really was – a power-hungry murderer who had played him for a fool, manipulating his life and controlling his kingdom while pretending to be his friend.

Arthur had never experienced such a sense of utter betrayal. His best friend had been nothing but a fabrication. His most loyal servant had killed both of his parents. The man who had always encouraged him and believed in him had been plotting behind his back the whole time.

"Arthur," Merlin started in a pleading tone, "it wasn't me who killed your mother. Nothing she said to you was true. I swear I have only ever been loyal to you."

Merlin's words wrested Arthur from the stupor he had fallen into and the anger that had faded into shock resurfaced.

"You!" he shouted, "It was you all this time! I trusted you! And you… you…"

Arthur abandoned his attempt to express himself by words and lunged at Merlin, aiming to drive his sword into the hated man, only to be thrown back again by magic.

"Please listen to me, Arthur," Merlin said as Arthur got to his feet again, "I have only ever tried to protect you. I never…"

"You are nothing but a liar and a murderer!" Arthur cut him off, "You are a coward who hides behind a mask and cares for no one but yourself! My father was right about sorcerers! You have no soul! You are pure evil and if you had any decency you would throw yourself over a cliff!"

"Arthur," Merlin said in a small voice. He was blinking back tears.

Arthur couldn't believe that even now Merlin was still trying to keep up his charade, as if he thought Arthur would ever fall for his tricks again. Arthur's desire to end Merlin's life was only strengthened by his disgusting display of weakness.

But Arthur knew that he had no chance of getting within range of the sorcerer. He didn't have the power to kill Merlin.

"Leave," he shouted. It was all he could do, as he couldn't stand to look at Merlin for a second longer. "If I ever see your face again I will kill you!"

Merlin was openly crying now, but instead of leaving or doing anything else, he simply sunk to his knees on the spot.

Arthur, who could face Merlin no longer, mounted his horse and rode away from the weeping man.

Merlin made no move to follow him.