So I forgot to mention I kinda went to Egypt and then Scotland, (I'm a southern girl so that was a whole day of motorways for there and back) and for both of them I was very busy with limited time on my phone to write this chapter and then I've been trying to get ready for collage so I'm really, really sorry for the long wait...please don't kill me XD
Thank you Susie666 for nagging me to finish this chapter and Jane Mays for reminding me that there are people who read this and I should really get my ass moving.
"Hey! I know you, you're Prince Arthur!"
It was probably only for a second that no one talked, silence spreading throughout the wild, but it felt like a life time...and then – blink – the whole crowd erupted in uproar.
"Prince Arthur? The Prince Arthur?"
"How dare he come here!"
"Is he mad?"
"Someone get him!"
"Kill him!"
"Where is he?"
"Is it really him?"
Arthur didn't know what to do, he was surrounded from every side and there was no escape. Soon multiple hands grabbed for him, forcing him so violently toward the cave that several tears echoed through the wood.
"And those two," sneered a twig like woman, glaring and pointing at Merlin and Gwaine, "they were with him, and I heard them conversing."
Merlin and Gwaine were soon grabbed as well and dragged toward Morgause and the others. Fighting was futile but it didn't stop them.
They fought hard, a few well aimed elbows here and there but Merlin looked like a madman, his eyes as wide as saucers, he stared unblinkingly at the cave as they drew nearer and nearer, every fibre in his body was shaking and his limbs were flailing as if not caring what they hit, just that he got away.
When they had reached the centre hands forced them to kneel, Merlin went unnaturally still when they stopped, even the normal movement of one's chest seemed to have disappeared from the servant as he stared at the cave.
Morgause walked up to them, a smirk firmly on her face as she gazed down at the trio, eyes twinkling with glee.
"So nice it is to see you two again, keeping well I hope, Arthur, Merlin." Arthur stared at her with pure hatred but Merlin looked as though he hadn't heard a word, his eyes still not wavering from the cave, his body not reacting to her presence, frozen as if by fear.
"And I don't believe we've meet, my name's Morgause, yours?"
Gwaine answered with his infamous smile and a flick of his wavy hair.
"Gwaine, displeasure meeting you."
"Well now the introductions of these trespassers has been announced shall we get to more pressing matters, for example what we're going to do about them," announced Adney as he joined Morgause in front of them, looking down with disgust. "I vote we burn them, show them how it feels like."
There were shouts of agreement from the crowd, a chorus of 'Burn them!' starting.
"Yes," muttered Gelsey, "but shouldn't we see if we can get any information out off them first?"
"No," answered Dawson, "Morgause has tried and failed multiple times," He then hesitated, before continuing "...we should probably just let them go."
There was a scream of astonishment and anger from everyone, even the prisoners thought that they had miss heard.
"Dawson, I don't think now is the time to resurface your views on the war." Said Gelsey, astounded at the idea of what he had proposed.
"How are w-"
"I would shut now unless you want to be strung up with them!" Adney hissed as he glared at him.
"Don't you think we should take the higher ground though? If we set them free perhaps we can show Arthur that maybe his father was misguided."
"Misguided?" Shrilled Morgause, "Uther Pendragon hunts us without mercy or care and his son is just as bad! We do what we do to survive."
"I think you take it a little further than just surviving, Morgause" sniped Dawson.
Morgause opened her mouth to retort but stopped when Idle raised a hand to silence everyone. She had been staring at Merlin with deep concentration, her brow furrowed throughout the debate and only then did she turn back to the others, a look of unease, fear and confusion on her face and her eyes were glazed over as if her mind was distracted. But it was gone a second later and most just shook it off as their imagination.
"We all have varying views on this war, some more extreme than others, so perhaps we should put it to a vote." She turned to the crowd, "all those who believe we should make these three pay for their crimes, raise your hand." Gwaine grumbled something about 'having committed no crimes' and Idle turned to him. "We both know that's a lie and anyway, being in company of the Pendragon makes you an accomplice."
Most of the crowd had risen their hands and so did Gelsey, Adney and Morgause, Brotec's thugs had vanished into the crowd when their leader had seen his end. Idle looked around, and to everyone's astonishment she looked displeased, regretful and above all scared, before her expression turned back to the stony picture once more.
"Very well then, that seems to be the majority. So what shall we do with them?"
"Like I said before, I vote we burn them." Repeated Adney, there was another hum of approval.
"No, that's too good for them." Smirked Morgause, "no...I have a better idea of what to do with them; you see the situation presents the solution."
"I'm not sure we're following." Adney shook his head in agreement to Gelsey.
"Oh, we're standing next to one of the most painful ways to die and you don't think we should force them to suffer from it?"
There were a few gasps and Idle looked absolutely revolted.
"Are you suggesting we use the cave, a magical artefact containing the purest of magic, on them? Have you no honour? Do you not care for the sacred breath that brings this earth to life?"
Adney, his head nodding in agreement to Morgause's proposal, answered. "What does it matter? It's not like any of them are Emrys, it's just simple revenge."
Something flashed in Idle's eyes, but it was gone far too quick to be recognised.
"I think that's what Idle's against," sighed Dawson. "The cave is a gift, a test, not a punishment. This goes against everything it is, a man is supposed to be suspected of being Emrys and this cave gives the chance for that question to be answered, right or wrong, and he should only face the cave when ready."
"Well," Morgause had a sickly smile that made everyone recoil in fear of what she was thinking. "Perhaps we should put it to a vote, like Idle did before, and then it will be fair, hm?"
Without waiting for anyone to reply she raised her voice to carry through the trees, "Anyone who wishes for this mass murdering vile to pay for what they have done in the most painful way possible, for murdering our kin, for tearing apart our daughters and sons, for the pain and evil they have spread in the name of good and justice, raise your hand."
Those who had been wary at using the cave had seemed to harden at Morgause's speech but still only around three fifths seemed to raise their hand.
"Hmmm, I think that's the majority, so which of you will go first?" She asked as she turned to the men in question, "What? No volunteers? Oh I am disappointed." They continued to glare at her, all except Merlin, whose eyes had yet to leave the cave.
"Please, Morgause, I beg of you to reconsider, you don't know the severity of the consequences of what you're about to do...please, don't do this..." Idle whispered to Morgause, her eyes pleading.
Morgause looked at her with confusion before smirking again.
"There are always consequences to every action, to this will be Uther's rage...but also his madness, and with that madness we shall cause his final down fall. They will die one way or another, what difference will it make if it's because of the cave or not?"
"Perhaps you shouldn't be as deaf to Dawson's ideals!" Idle whispered back harshly.
"Oh, Idle..." Morgause murmured patronisingly, all previous respect having vanished. "I know, even through your hatred of Uther, you still held doubt in mine and so many others beliefs of taking revenge on Arthur and the citizens of Camelot, but really? I believe age has finally caught up with you, Idle, you're going mad...utterly insane."
Idle glared at her with such hatred and frustration that Morgause had to look away. She could hear Gelsey's gasp of astonishment at Morgause's nerve, and saw Dawson's posture go rigid, his eyes practically on fire but the crowd had remained oblivious. Adney had a smug smile at Idle's reprimand, but his eyes still glinted fear toward Idle's power.
Morgause cleared her throat, turning back toward the three men on the ground, "Where were we...oh, yes...which of you to choose? What about the filthy man-whore, or the arrogant prince...or...the clumsy imbecile who sticks his nose in places it does not belong?" A malicious glint in her eye showed that the choice had already been made. She crouched in front of Merlin so that they were eye level but he was still not looking at her, didn't even seem to realise she was so close.
When he still didn't respond to her presence her hand shot out and clutched his jaw with such strength that they wouldn't be surprised if it broke, but Merlin didn't so much as blink.
"How about you, Merlin?"
Her eyes glistened with glee as Arthur and Gwaine grew panicked, struggling desperately to save their friend, but Merlin still seemed none the wiser to what was happening, his eyes straining to remain in visual contact with the cave.
Her eyes narrowed at the lack of response but continued anyway, "Yes, it will be nice to see you finally die. Revenge is so sweet, don't you think?" Morgause's smile grew even wider, head nodding in contemplation, "Yes...no more failed plans because no more lucky Merlin." She then moved in close, her breath hot on his ear as she whispered, "it's regrettable my sister won't hear your screams, but I'm sure she'll be grateful to hear of your so very painful death...not unexpected though, she did warn me of your possible interference after all...we just didn't think you'd be stupid enough to come."
She then stood, her hand removing itself from his chin so that his head snapped back to the cave, and she said in a happy sing-song voice, as if she were the luckiest girl in Albion.
"I'm going to put you in the cave, Merlin."
And he blinked.
His head slowly turned toward her, eyes finally losing their glazed look as he finally processed her presence and statement.
It was as if a switch had been flicked, suddenly he became the madman once more, his expression was startled and his whole body was shaking in fear. The terror had seemed to stop him from speaking.
Gwaine and Arthur started shouting, cursing and struggling, both pleading to take the place of Merlin as he was dragged to his feet by the two burly men that had forced him in front of the sorcerers in the beginning. They moved toward the cave and dumped him at the entrance.
When Merlin tried to scramble away, limbs flying in madness, words finally fell from his lips.
"Oh please, no, no, no please, I can't, I don't want it, please..." Sobs followed as the men grabbed him again and forced him back, holding him there as vines once again came down, encircling his thrashing limbs so that he was forced into stillness and then the men moved away.
Many from the crowd had turned their heads away, sickened at what was happening and was about to happen. At least Brotec was willing but this man was young and so obviously averse to it...it was horrific.
Arthur and Gwaine had shouted themselves hoarse as they stared in terror, unable to look away.
Nearly everyone flinched at the sight of gold, the light slowly creeping toward Merlin. It didn't seem as curious as it did with Brotec, but surer. It twisted and swirled around the servant with confidence, it then entered his nostrils, quicker than with Brotec, and Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bare the pain.
There were gasps of dismay and sobs from the crowd as a ribbon of light rose, ready to strike like it did with Brotec.
But instead of striking, withdrawing and striking, over and over again till he was nothing, it shot toward him...and through him.
His scream was even worse than Brotec's; it was as if the whole of Albion had felt his pain, the ground, the animals and even the people.
More strands joined the first, cutting through Merlin as his spine arched and his eyes exploded open and everyone seemed to recoil.
His pupils, irises and sclerae were all molten gold, brighter than even the ribbons of lights.
The tendrils encased him so that no skin, cloth or hair was visible.
His screams stopped, no one knowing if it was because he was dead, unconscious, or if the pain had stopped...or become so unbearable that he could no longer voice it.
Then to everyone's continuous shock, the light dissolved into him, not the cave, to finally show him hanging limp in the cave's bindings. Then they retracted, withdrawing back into the cracks, and he slumped to the ground, unmoving.
Thank you so much for reading and I'll understand if you didn't want to review due to the long wait as punishment, but if you are kind and merciful then please, please review.
IMPORTANT: Well not really but anyway, I was struck with a story line that won't budge from my brain and as readers of WoaC I was wondering if you wanted me to write it as I have its whole plot all sorted out and the prelude is so short that I've already written it...If I do write it along with this story it may help updates because I'll be immersed with writing, but then again it might not...so your chose, it'll be a long story (more than 20 chapters I think) and called 'Fail Safe'.
This is its summary - Arthur's King, magic is restored...and Merlin's dead. When the Council of Magic want to search the dead man's sealed chambers they find more than expected. Everyone's thrown in to chaos when they don't know who to trust or what to believe.
I've also put my review responses down here because the top A/N seemed a bit big.
Blank - Thank you for the very kind words and I'm sorry for the lack of Gwaine humour once again for this chapter as well, but there should be some next chapter.
*Blank* - Thank you for your review, I'm sorry this one took so long but I'll really, really try for the next one.
Oh and there was someone who's review (for chapter 3) I didn't realise I couldn't reply to until after I had posted last chapter, I can't remember who you were and I can't find you on my list so I'm sorry I didn't respond but I loved your review so thank you very much.
LL x