Here's is the next chapter and it's a long one. Finally finished the unicorn part. Two more episodes to go, lol. Enjoy and remember, don't forget to vote on my poll.
The moment his magic surfaced from where it has been hiding, he knew something had happened. Swearing aloud, he followed the slight pull that was Arthur's aura, letting it lead him to where his prince was.
He saw the prince standing in a narrow ravine. "Arthur!" He doesn't stir and Merlin's worry spikes even higher. Sprinting the last distance, he skidded to a halt beside, him, grabbing at his arms, shaking him to get his attention. "Arthur, what's wrong?"
He mumbled something, too low for Merlin to catch. "What was that?"
"I have failed and my people will suffer for it." He said calmly, too calmly, as if the shock has yet to set in.
Growling, Merlin did the one thing he had never done to Arthur. Pulling back, he released, fist slamming into his cheek with a wet thump that sent the prince staggering away, clutching his face, disbelief written clear across his face. "Get ahold of yourself. If this is how you act for one mistake, like some emotional woman," 'Forgive me Morgana, Gwen, Ygraine.' He thought silently. "Then you are not the Arthur I know." He saw the spark of indignation in his eyes, his spine and shoulder stiffening under his harsh words.
"We cannot let one mistake force our resolve to crumble. If we are to fix this, then we must keep strong. You are not alone in this, Arthur." He finished softly.
The drupe in his shoulders is back, but not as pronounced, his eyes still steely in their resolve. "How, how are we to fix this?" He demanded, desperation clear.
"Give me time, Arthur. But I will find a way." He nodded slowly. "Come on, we need to get back to the castle before your father starts to worry about us." He nodded, still holding his cheek.
"What is it? What has happened?" He asked, rushing into the storage room where the grain was.
"All our remaining supplies have rotted, every last grain." He said, storming out shoulder stiff with frustration. Arthur followed him out and through the castle until they were enclosed in the main dining room.
"We must preserve all remaining food. Open up the forests, it will keep everyone from starving for now, but what is left here, must not go to them."
"Father, they are starving, they need all the food they can get if they are to survive." He argued.
"We must keep our army fed, if we are to survive any kind of attack. Once the other kingdoms learn of our vulnerability, they will strike."
"If our people die from starvation, then what is there left to protect except empty, barren fields?"
"You will not question me. I would rather starve then let my kingdom fall into the hands of some barbaric people or some unfit king. Have you no pride in the Pendragon name?"
"How can I let pride rule me, when my people starve?"
"You will give the order for them to stop the distribution of our stores." He growled out, eyes hard.
"I'm sorry father, but you will have to give that order." He said calmly, turning to leave.
"I do not make this decision lightly. One day, when you are king, you will learn what it means to make a decision like this." He didn't reply, just kept walking away, turning the corner.
"They have no idea what is soon to happen." Arthur replied, voice subdued.
"What?" Merlin asked, standing next to him, watching the line grow longer still.
"My father plans to stop distributing food to conserve it for our army. He fears our enemies will attack when they hear of our weakness."
"I'm sorry." He replied lamely, unsure of what else to say.
"It is not your fault. You didn't make this happen."
"I know. I'll be back later, I want to go look something up." Arthur nodded, but didn't turn to look at him, too distracted by what his father was going to do to look away.
"Anhora…show yourself." His voice echoed in the heavy mist. "Anhora!" Growling, he started to walk away, back to where he knew Lancelot waited for him. The Druid hadn't said a word about him going out, just followed him as he went to saddle his horse, doing likewise. Mordred was with Morgana and Gwen, being watched over by them.
"You wanted to speak with me, Druid?" Anhora asked, appearing out of nowhere as usual.
"I've come to speak with you…about Arthur." He just stood there silently, waiting for him to continue. "The people are starving, they will soon be dead." He said, pleading with the sorcerer.
"You must believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to see them suffer."
"If it pains you so, then help me put an end to it."
"It is not in my power or yours, considerable though it is, to lift the curse under which Camelot struggles."
"Then give Arthur another chance. He knew from the beginning that this was his responsibility and the fact that he bore the burden of someone else's mistake. He can prove himself enough for the curse to be lifted, but he just needs one more chance."
"You have faith in Arthur?"
"More than should be sensible, but…I trust him with my life."
He was silent for a few moments, thinking it over. Finally he spoke. "Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There he will face a final test. If he fails this, then there is no hope left for Camelot as the kingdom is slowly destroyed."
"Wait, what kind of test will he face?" He asked as the man disappeared again.
"That is for him alone to discover." His voice whispered through his mind and then he was gone, his aura disappearing with the mist.
"Let me come with you!" He yelled at the prat as he finished gathering his things together he would need for the journey to the labyrinth. "You don't even know what kind of test it will be. I can protect you."
"You're not coming and that is final. I will not put you in danger." He said back forcefully, but calmly. He looked up and nodded to Lancelot, trying to get the other Druid to help him persuade the pale Druid. Mordred stood there silently, watching the whole thing with solemn eyes.
"But I might be of some help?"
"If you get hurt, how will that help?" He asked.
"I won't get hurt. I can protect myself."
"I've already made my decision, Merlin. You are staying here." He could feel the Druid's angry glare boring into his back as he left, the door cutting it off.
Halfway down the hall, Lancelot caught up. "You know, this will not stop him and I am bound to follow and protect him, not restrain him."
"I know that. I just need him to stay here long enough so that I can reach the labyrinth. By the time he catches up, he won't be able to interfere. Will you do that much for me?" He asked the tanned Druid.
"No. If you want to get some distance, then you better leave now and ride hard while he is sulking for he already has his horse saddled and waiting to follow you." Nodding, he left, hurrying out of the castle.
Merlin glared at his silent shadow, but the Druid didn't even bat an eyelash. Arthur had about an hour's lead on him, but he would catch up, no matter what he needed to do.
The ride was silent between bouts of short sprints and longer walks. His heart was fluttering anxiously, fearing the worst should Arthur get there before he did. Already, they were drawing closer. He could feel its power, like a dull throb on the horizon, drawing them into a trap.
When they topped the ledge and saw it, spreading out as far as he could see, he knew this was a bad idea. Squinting, he could see Arthur's horse, Arthur himself just entering the great maze of hedges.
He had already disappeared into it, blocked by the plants by the time he dismounted. Growling, he didn't even wait for Lancelot, racing off after the idiot, uncaring of what happened to him so long as he could get to the blonde and beat some since into his head.
He appeared to not have learned his lesson from last time about leaving Merlin behind to protect him. He would make sure it stuck this time. He raced through, not looking back or seeing the resigned look on Lancelot's face when he couldn't pass a barrier at the entrance. He was not part of the test then. Sighing, the Druid sat down with his back to the pillar behind him, keeping an eye out should anyone have followed them.
He couldn't find him! Something…or someone if what he thought was true, was blocking his magic. The hedges were tall, towering over him, forcing him to follow their path. He ran on, searching desperately for Arthur.
Another dead end. Yelling in his head, he turned and went back the way he came, trying desperately to remember any lore he might have heard about the Labyrinth of Gedref. Turning another corner, he slowed to a halt, taking the still figure in front of him.
White robes stood out starkly against the green of the hedges. His staff looming in front of him. Anhora. "You said Arthur was to face a test and yet here I find you preparing a trap for him." He gritted out through clenched teeth, anger welling up at Anhora's games.
"The trap isn't for Arthur…it is for you." He answered calmly. He spoke quickly, voice a blur as the ancient language rolled off his tongue. Merlin tensed, but it was too late, the vine shooting from the ground to ensnare him, gripping like chain and as flexible as thread. He tried to reach for his magic in desperation and was met with nothing, his magic subdued and chained just like he was.
Arthur couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he came to the exit of the maze. The endless green had started to play tricks on him and the deafening silence had weighed heavily on him.
Walking through, he couldn't help but stare in amazement. He had been nowhere near the sea and yet here it was, spread out across the horizon, the sound of the surf loud after the silence.
Turning, he started to walk along the beach, careful of his steps, watching where he placed each one. Looking up, he froze mid step, staring up at Merlin, the Druid solemn as he watched Arthur approach the table he sat at.
"Merlin…"
"I'm sorry." He said softly, full lips pulling down at the edges in a frown, eyes flicking to his left.
"Let him go, he has nothing to do with this. I will take your test, but not till he is released."
"That is not possible. Merlin is part of the test. Please sit." He gestured to the chair.
Glowering at the man, he sat. "I thought I told you to stay in Camelot."
"Since when have I listened to you?" He asked, though his voice was subdued.
Sighing, Arthur looked at the sorcerer. "Let's get on with it."
He nodded. "There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison. The other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drank. And each of you may only drink from a single goblet."
"And what will that prove?" He asked, voice tense.
"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted."
"Let's think about this. What if I drink from my goblet first?"
"If it's poisoned, you'll die."
"But a poison that affects you will not affect me."
"There are poisons out there that can harm both of us, Merlin. He will have already seen that possibility and has added it in."
"But if it's not poisoned, then yours will be and I will not let you drink it just to prove to some old man that are worthy of being forgiven for something you didn't do!" He nearly yelled the last word.
"This must be some trick and there is a way around it we do not see."
"It is as simple as can be, Merlin. One of us must die."
Merlin's head shot up and glared at the prince. "Shut up. No one is dying today, not if I can stop it."
"We must figure out which has the poison, then I'll drink it."
"You? Who says you will drink it? I will not let you die for me Arthur. I will drink it."
"This is my test and I will drink."
"That doesn't even make sense. How is my life more important than yours? Do you think I could bear to watch you die? Do you want to die so much? This is no time to play the hero, Arthur!" This time he did yell.
"No, I don't want to die and leave you all alone…but if it mean that you will live to see an new day, then I am willing to."
"Why are so eager to die for me?" He asked softly, voice small and just barely heard over the sound of the waves.
"I'm not. I would rather live, but if this is the only way, then so be it." He was quiet for a few seconds, staring at the goblets. "I'm glad you're here though, Merlin."
"I've got it." He looked positively miserable as he spoke. Arthur waited for him to continue. "If we pour all into one goblet, then we know for sure that it is poisoned."
Arthur nodded, accepting this as truth. Pulling in a deep breath, he looked to the left. "What!" Merlin spun, looking for the threat, just like he knew he would.
Snatching up both goblets, he stood, stepping away from the table. Merlin turned back and saw this. "Arthur, don't!"
"I'm sorry, Merlin, but this is the way it must happen." He poured one into the other and before Merlin could take a step towards him, drowned it down, throat only registering the coolness of the fluid.
The last thing he heard before blackness took his vision was Merlin yelling his name, a thud as he fell to the ground and the sound of the surf.
"What have you done?" He yelled, running around the table to crouch down next to the felled prince. "Arthur!"
He looked up at Anhora. "Please…let me take his place." His eyes stung, vision blurring around the edges.
"This was Arthur's test, not yours."
"You've killed him!" He yelled, jumping to his feet.
"He is not dead; he has merely consumed a sleeping draught." He said, derailing the Druid's anger and grief. "He will come around shortly."
"What?" He asked in confusion.
"A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted."
"But Arthur was not the one to kill the unicorn."
"But he was responsible for all underneath him. The moment he saw the unicorn, he could have yelled out, stopping them. Instead, he let it distract him until it was too late. The knight who shot it knew not what would happen, should he kill the unicorn, since he had not forewarned his men. The unicorn deemed him the one who should be tested. Thus he became the one chosen to take these tests."
He looked down at his sleeping prince and when he looked up, Anhora was gone.
He was…alive. But how was that possible? On second thought, why did his head hurt so much? Groaning, he opened his eyes a crack, blinking to clear them, to see what was leaning over him. "You great idiot!" Merlin yelled at him, yanking him up by his chest plate to press trembling lips to his.
Arthur just stared up at him, too stunned to voice anything in reply. "Don't you ever do something like that again." He said softly, voice hitching as he buried his face into the side of his neck, his body trembling as he released the pent up worry he had gathered as he waited for the blonde to awaken.
"I'm sorry…so sorry. I swear, I won't do that to you again." He held the trembling Druid, until he stopped crying. Pulling him back, he kissed him on his forehead, his tear stained eyelids, his checks, his nose and finally his lips, holding him there to reassure him that he was very much alive. "I'm sorry." He whispered as they pulled apart. Merlin just nodded and hugged him again, Arthur's arms wonderfully tight around him, giving more proof that the prince was alive.
[AN: sorry about the confusing explination as to why Arthur was chosen, I saw that someone wanted to know why and had to kind of wing it to make it fit. LOL, sorry again, but I hope it kind of clears it up...] Also, this is a chapter to celebrate. I have finally written over 50,000 words in this story. I know, I know, it already said I had on FF, but it was off, since it included all my little notes. Hope you enjoyed it though.