Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Chapter Five:

Arthur stood on the steps in front of the castle. Behind him on the steps, stood his Knights and advisors. Sir Elyan stood on his left while Gaius stood on his right. He watched as King Sarrum and his party entered through the gates. Gwen was stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard and King Sarrum looked up at her as he entered.

"We are most grateful to King Sarrum for accepting our invitation and gracing our palace with his presence," Arthur announced as King Sarrum approached. "We welcome him and his warriors with friendship."

"The last time I met you, you were ten years old," King Sarrum said, as he halted his horse in front of the palace steps. "Uther held a tournament in your honor."

"I fight my own tournaments now," Arthur replied.

"Well," King Sarrum said, lips twitching in the hints of a smirk. "We shall enjoy putting you to the test."

Meanwhile in forest beyond Camelot's walls, Morgana retrieves a letter hidden in a tree root, which Gwen had placed there a couple of hours earlier. Having read the letter, she looked towards the castle and smirked.

)o(

"We're here," Daegal said, as they walked. "The camps just on the other side of those trees."

Merlin glanced at Daegal. There was clearly something bothering him.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"Nothing," Daegal shook his head. "I just hope they're still alive."

Merlin nodded and walked through the trees. The sight which greeted him was the ruins of a druid camp. It was almost like the camp had been torn apart by a large animal. There was dried blood on the ground and scorch marks on the tress. But there weren't any bodies. That didn't mean no body had died though. The druids who survived could have returned and taken them to the burial grounds.

"There's no one here," Merlin turned towards Daegal and froze as he sensed a familiar magic in the air. "Daegal, hide!"

Daegal did as he was told and seconds after he had ducked out of sight, Merlin was thrown backwards through the air by a wave of magic. Merlin lands on his back and he head slams into the rocky ground, knocking him unconscious.

From his hiding place Daegal watches as Morgana knelt down beside Merlin and pulled out a vial of poison, the dark liquid unlike anything Daegal had seen before, whilst training under Alice, but then he hadn't been taught much out poisons before he left.

"You've meddled in my plans once too often," Daegal heard Morgana hiss. "The agony you feel...you'll be glad when death comes."

Morgana uncorked the bottle and poured the black liquid down Merlin's throat. She stood and smirked down at Merlin, before kicking him down the side of the ridge. Daegal flinched at the sound of Merlin landing at the bottom. He listened as Morgana's footsteps disappeared, before he slowly got to his feet and hurried over to the edge of the ridge. Merlin was lying at the bottom.

Suddenly Daegal was grabbed from behind.

"Why did you bring him here?" A voice hissed at him, as a blade was pressed to his throat. "What did Morgana do to him?"

"I don't know," Daegal cried out. "I can explain."

The blade was removed from his throat and he was spun round. Daegal gulped as he came face to face with one of the Knights who had caught him in Camelot and if it hadn't been for Merlin covering for him, he could have gotten into a lot of trouble.

"Who are you?" Mordred demanded.

"I'm Daegal," Daegal answered. "I needed Merlin's help… Morgana said of the druids could not bring her Emrys, then they would help her kill someone else. She wanted Merlin. The druids refused, said they wanted no part in killing anyone. She said she'd kill them all, if no one went to Camelot and bought her Merlin… I said I'd go."

Mordred glared at him, before pushing him to the side and hurrying over to the ridge, which Merlin lay at the bottom of.

"She's going to kill the king," Daegal said.

)o(

Later that night a banquet was being held in Camelot in honour of King Sarrum.

"I feel we have much in common," Arthur said, as he sipped his wine and turned to King Sarrum. "We share many allies and friends. Also an enemy."

"Sorcery," King Sarrum said, a viscous hint to his voice.

"There is a rumour that you held Morgana prisoner," Arthur questioned. "Is it true?"

Gwen who was sat on Arthur's other side, turned her attention towards King Sarrum.

"She's nothing to be feared," King Sarrum told Arthur. "I kept her like an animal."

Arthur looked slightly disturbed by what King Sarrum had said, but he doesn't say anything.

"How did you capture her?" Arthur asked. "She's... A sorceress, a high priestess."

"I found her weakness," King Sarrum explained. "Everyone has one, even a high priestess. A young dragon. Her love for that creature caused her to suffer more than she ever imagined possible. But not more than she deserved. I knew that she wouldn't dare use magic against me, not while her beloved creature was at risk of harm."

Arthur picked up his goblet and sipped his wine.

"Such a shame," King Sarrum said. "All that power, all that beauty, abandoned, forgotten in a living grave."

Gwen looked away in disgust.

"You're a harsh judge, Lord Sarrum," Arthur answered.

"When it comes to sorcery, we must be merciless," King Sarrum continued. "I was not merciless enough. Morgana escaped. A lapse on my part, but I will not be so foolish again. Not that her time with me was entirely wasted. As the dragon grew, the pit became too small. Gradually the creature was crippled and twisted. At night you could hear its cries. They were even more heartbreaking than Morgana's."

Both Arthur and Gwen looked slightly horrified by that. Gwen quickly got to her feet.

"I hope King Sarrum will forgive me if I retire for the night," Gwen said, as she got to her feet.

King Sarrum nodded and Gwen forced a smile, before leaving.

"I have a gift for you, Arthur Pendragon," King Sarrum suddenly said, waving one of his servants forward. "It will help you find the enemy we have dedicated our lives to hunting down."

A servant approached the table with a box, which King Sarrum quickly took from them. Arthur watched as King Sarrum opened the box and pulled out a strange stone.

"This crystal comes from deep within the mines of the north," King Sarrum explained. "It is completely harmless, unlike some crystals those with magic wield. It is useful tool for hunting those with magic and is often favoured by witch-hunters, for it glows in the presences of magic."

King Sarrum held out the stone and much to both of their surprise, the crystal had begun to glow.

"Even now," King Sarrum said, looking around the room. "There is sorcery at the heart of your kingdom."

Arthur took the crystal from King Sarrum's hand and held it, he too glanced round the room. Someone in the room was a sorcerer. He had a sorcerer in his court and he hadn't even known it. Were they working for Morgana? Or were they acting alone?

)o(

Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time,

Blessed be,

TreeOfLife1997.