[To anyone who had read this before, I have reposted this chapter, I made many corrections (I didn't really reread it in my hast to post it, won't make that mistake again, soz) and a few sentences, you'll also find that a few of the sentences will have changed meaning because I, or the spell checker, wrote the wrong word.
Any beta reader interested in editing this story (an extra eye really needed) would be very welcome. If you are interested then please tell me in a review or PM me, thank you. Sorry again for my terrible grammar!]
Ok, so thanx to all your WONDERFUL reviews I'm doing this instead of English and History (both really need to be done) I have been writing this in any free moments I get over the last two weeks (I have had a VERY long, tiring and busy two weeks) and sorry that it took so long.
I LOVED all of the reviews and thank you so much. I'm still having exams so it's still 'the more reviews I get, the quicker I update', so PLEZ PLEZ review! (I'm soooo close to 100 - never had 100 before!)
Thank you to Susie666, just like in the other chapters, she helped and edited this for me.
Oh and seeing as I haven't written this in awhile – I DO NOT OWN MERLIN!
P.s. Merlin's bit gets gruesome again, soz.
The worry on Gwen's face was easily seen, as it was too strong to hide for the poor maid. Her movements were distant as her mind wondered to her two favourite boys, unsure of what was happening. Back and forth the brush went as she untangled her mistress's raven hair.
She didn't notice the look Morgana was giving her, as if the lady were analysing her. Morgana had reached the conclusion today that Gwen defiantly knew something, however, how much she knew and whether Arthur knew it too, was still uncertain. That annoyed Morgana the most, not knowing, she was used to knowing everything – being ahead of the game. She frowned, for she just realised that no matter how ahead she was, Merlin always beat her...out of luck!
A loud bang echoed off of the walls, the door reverberating form the sudden, and unnecessary, force. Both women were torn from their thoughts with a jump, and turning to the door they saw none other than the prince, clad in all of his armour.
His expression was unreadable as he fixed eyes on his sister, but when he spoke his tone was dangerously calm.
"Where's Morgause?"
That idiot! Oh how I'll make Merlin pay! "The sorceress? How would I know?" Morgana asked, feigning innocence.
"Do not test me Morgana, I know even more than you and my patience is wearing thin."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Her emotions were slowly getting the better of her, as they always did, and she knew she had to get them back under control, "you're accusing me of conspiracy with the enemy! At least tell me the name of my accuser so that I can put your worries to rest, although, why you would believe in such lies is beyond me!" Oh how well she could play the hurt lady nowadays.
"You don't understand Morgana, Merlin told me everything, now tell me where is Morgause?"
Gwen could see how close the prince was to breaking and just hoped that this ended well. But Morgana just straightened her back, her chin rising, as if trying to gain height on her brother.
"I. Don't. Know. Merlin is lying!" Morgana spoke clearly to Arthur but by the end she was shouting.
It was then that both ladies saw Arthur's control break and he swiftly took Morgana's arms and spun her round to hit the wall. He towered over her, and Gwen was sure he would hit her if she were not careful.
Morgana had seemed to be having the same thoughts because her expression hardened, realising that she was truly discovered.
"Why should I tell you?" she whispered dangerously, a smirk forming on her lips.
Gwen was sure something died in Arthur when his sister's charade had fallen and they could both see the corruption that had poisoned her, for a piece of her died too.
"Do you know what she did?" His words were hard, as if he did not trust himself to speak anymore.
"I know she was teaching him a lesson" the smirk firmly on the lady's face "he deserved whatever he got; opening his big mouth." Arthur's fisted slammed into the wall beside her, making both her and Gwen jump.
"She massacred Ealdor" he hissed as Gwen gasped and although Morgana's hard exterior was the same, there was a little bit of shock in her cold eyes. "Every man, woman and child are lying dead on the ground, the whole village is demolished...it's all gone." The last part was a bare whisper and a tear rolled down Gwen's face. However, Morgana seemed as unfazed as ever, although somewhere in her soul was a lost girl that seemed to be hurt at the idea of being part of such a slaughter.
"He deserved it, did he tell you that he poisoned me, betrayed me?" She summoned the tears and they fell easily down her warm cheeks. Her act was back, trying to guilt Arthur to her side.
"Yes...do you know he has magic?" The sadness and regret in his voice was overtaken by Morgana's disbelief and shock.
"What?" It was a mere murmur, but the silent room still heard it, her tone then became strict, unflustered as she gave a loud laugh. "Merlin? Magic? That idiot can barley stay on his own two feet!"
"I bet that's what Morgause thought too when she murdered his mother!" Arthur's rage had reached boiling point and Morgana's blindness was far from helping. "He's going to her now, to find his revenge, and you know what? If I don't stop him in time then I'll never see my friend again because he'll be even worse than you. He'll be consumed by evil and he'll be unstoppable! Now, where the hell is Morgause?" He shouted, Gwen moved to him to put a comforting hand on his shoulder and perhaps comfort herself as well, but when she made contact he flinched, swung round and grabbed her wrist with a painfully tight grip.
Gwen recoiled, shocked and hurt by his reaction, however when their eyes connected he seemed to realise what he was doing and to who. Arthur released it and showed his apology through his eyes, not through words for he knew his voice would betray his weakness to Morgana in that moment and he had to show her that he was in charge.
Arthur turned back to Morgana, "You are going to show us the quickest way to her so that we may find her before Merlin does. He left his horse at Ealdor so I presume that he continued on foot. If we go by horse then we may be able to get there in time." Seeing the Morgana's face, he continued before she could say 'definitely not', "it's a win-win situation Morgana, you save Morgause and I save Merlin, now let's go."
The wind was bitter, slicing through the trees and attacking the creatures in the dark wood. Merlin, however, carried on unaffected. His footsteps were silent on the wet ground, his tracks easily read but that didn't matter, for anyone stupid enough to follow him did it at their own risk.
The glow of his eyes lit up the area and yet it made the wood seem even worse, more looming and as if evil was as close as ever. He could sense Morgause, as if by instinct, drawn to her by the blood thirst he felt.
It was when he reached a fallen oak, halting his walk, that he felt the cold edge of a blade upon his back.
"Don't move, or it'll be your guts decorating the forest floor!" More men appeared from behind trees, all brandishing their own shiny swords. "Now what valuables do you own on your persons, fine sir?" he sneered as he slowly came to face Merlin, his sword never leaving the warlock's skin.
There was a collective grasp as Merlin looked up at the bandits.
"What the hell is wrong with your eyes?" asked a man to the right, fear seeming to choke him and his friends as they looked into the very golden pit of twisted magic, filled with hate and sweet revenge.
"I would run if I were you, while you still have your legs." Merlin spoke crisply as a smirked formed on his lips; it twisted his face into something unrecognisable.
They stood there shocked at the pure power that emanated from both the skinny man's body and voice.
"Hmm, too late...you really shouldn't have interrupted my journey." Pleasure mixed with the blood thirst in the warlock's eyes as he started to raise his hand. The gold glowed brighter as the ground seemed to shift and soon screams for mercy started to fill the air.
When the bloodcurdling cries stopped Merlin looked around, delight filling him as he looked from one scarlet tree to the next. A whimper made him stop though, and he slowly turned to find the source. One man had survived, he was curled in a ball, eyes the size of saucers as he looked at Merlin.
He took delicate steps toward the man, as if moving toward a scared child and not wanting to spook them. When the warlock reached his destination he crouched down so that they could look at each other eye to eye. Merlin tilted his head as he reached a lone finger to the bandit's jaw. It traced the bone, smudging the blood as it went. The man stayed stock still, too scared to even blink, as Merlin's finger travelled down his neck and to his chest.
"W-who are you?" The man stuttered and Merlin just looked at him a smile playing on his face.
"Emrys" and with finality, his hand drove into the bandit's chest, magic sustaining the bandit for mere seconds so that he could watch and feel as his heart was literally town from his body. His screams broke the silence as his hand flew up to Merlin's neck to try and stop it, only to fall back to his side when sweet death took him.
Merlin just stood, his work done as he looked down at the heart, oozing ruby red blood from his clenched fist. He slowly brought it to his face, examined it, and then moved it closer; as if to smell or eat it. Realisation dawned on him and he dropped it in disgust and horror.
He stumbled back, his eyes returning to their sky blue. Merlin looked around, truly seeing the destruction he had caused and felt nausea build up. He could still feel his magic tying to reclaim his body, ready to pounce, however he fought it. But then he remembered his mother and what Morgause did, loathing filled him and the want, no, the need for vengeance came back. He could feel himself losing.
He had never thought he would be in a situation where his magic became his enemy, but he couldn't stop it, he didn't want to stop it and slowly the power seeped back in, taking the misery and agony, leaving Merlin once again in a pit of nothingness as his eyes shone bright gold.
So there you go, plez review and hoped you enjoyed it :D
Susie666 was very disturbed by the heart thing and was worried of how I thought of it...whoops, soz if anyone's throwing up now :)
Love LL xxx