A Camelot Courtship Chapter 3, a merlin fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

A Camelot Courtship

Merlin stormed through the castle, equal parts frustration, anger and hurt, fighting the urge to either scream in rage or cry. How could Arthur not listen to him? He had always been proved right about people in the end, and after Agravaine Arthur had promised to listen to Merlin. But no. Because of how he felt about Morgana, he was automatically discounted? Resisting the urge to hit something, Merlin headed for Gaius' chambers, knowing that once again it was up to him to save everyone's skins. All these years of doing it, for virtually no thanks, Arthur still didn't know, it was getting beyond a joke. He wanted nothing more than for Arthur just to know, to accept him for who he was. But the lie had gone on for so long now, and so much had gone wrong over the years, he knew it would be a miracle for Arthur to ever truly understand just how much Merlin had done for him over the years, for him to ever accept him. And he wasn't the only one. What would Gwen think? The knights? Morgana? Merlin's head was pounding. Yet again people he cared about were in danger, Madvedor was trouble, he had to stop it, on his own as usual, before he killed Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, the knights or took over Camelot. Was this all he was? The one who fixed the problems, like a magical handyman called upon time and again to save the day for friends that didn't know or appreciate everything he had already done? He was just so sick of it. And now that snob Madvedor was up to something, his best friend thought he was making the story up and his temper was not in the best of ways.

Furious, he banged open the door to Gaius' chambers, making Gaius leap in fright and drop the vial he was holding.

"Merlin." He scolded, then saw the look on his ward's face, the unshed tears in his eyes.

"Sorry." He snapped, throwing himself down at the table, his head pounding and anger flooding through his veins.

Gaius looked at the mess on the floor, and deciding to clean it up after the immediate problem was over, he walked over to the table and sat down opposite Merlin.

"Merlin what is it?" he asked, his eyes showing his deep concern for the young warlock.

Merlin sighed in irritation.

"Arthur. I overheard Madvedor. He sounds like he's planning to steal Morgana's powers somehow. I tried to warn Arthur but because of how I feel about Morgana he thinks I'm just making it up." He admitted bitterly, his hands shaking in anger.

Gaius saw something then in the young warlock. Something he had never seen before. The possibility for him, when pushed by fate and his loved ones in a certain way, for him to become the thing he's sworn to defend against. Gaius saw the possibility for Merlin to become angry, bitter and vengeful, just as Morgana had. He hoped that when the time came Arthur wouldn't make a dreadful mistake. The thought of an evil Merlin was too much for his heart. But as it was, all he needed was to calm down.

"You think he wants to steal her powers? How?" Gaius asked, choosing to err on the side of caution and not wanting to get in a fight with Merlin by asking if he was sure about what he saw.

"I don't know. He said magic was in chaos, and that Morgana was to blame, and that if he took her power, he would be fine from what's meant to be coming. He had some orb thing as well, with lots of different colours of light in it, swirling around like a whirlpool." He explained, and Gaius frowned.

The orb could be any number of things, he would need to check his books as to what they could be. But if Madvedor believed magic was in chaos, then things were indeed grave. The last time magic had been in chaos, it had been during the purge, with so many being killed and so much being changed by Uther, it had made magic flux up and down, hence why so many more sorcerers and the like had been killed at the time, their powers had either gotten too strong, not done enough, or flared at random times. Magic in flux was a very serious and potentially deadly problem for all concerned.

"He said magic was in chaos?" he asked darkly, and Merlin forgot to be angry for a minute, instead looking warily curious.

"Yeah, why, what does it mean?" he asked, his eyes clouded.

Gaius frowned, fearing that if Madvedor was right, they could all be in danger.

"Magic as you know acts technically as its own being, a living substance that permeates everything around us. Destiny and magic are intermingled. It is possible that someone of Morgana's power could have affected the course of magic without realising what she was doing. When that happens, when it is unable to go the way it was intended to go, magic begins to flux, get stronger, weaker, more unpredictable, to the point where it gets so out of control there is no stopping it. I fear that if magic is indeed in chaos, and if he is right and it is due to Morgana, then this is just the beginning of it all. It means you in particular could be in severe danger Merlin. The magic you wield is the strongest in the land. If magic is spiralling out of control, the usual rules don't apply, and anything could happen." Gaius warned, and Merlin had the good sense to look worried.

"Well, what's Morgana doing? Does she know she's doing it?" Merlin asked, hoping against hope that she didn't.

Gaius stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I doubt it. You said the Great Dragon believed she would one day enter into an evil alliance with Mordred. As she has now come back to our side, she is subverting the destiny that was laid down for her. But that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Every destiny that was linked in with that one: yours, Arthur's, Gwen's, Mordred's, all of them will now also be off kilter. We are in severe danger Merlin." He said worriedly, and Merlin closed his eyes wearily.

"So what, Morgana turns good and everything goes to hell? How does that work? How is that even fair?" Merlin demanded angrily, and Gaius laid a hand on his wrist, attempting to calm him.

"I know Merlin. It isn't, there's no need to tell me that. But if Madvedor knows that magic is spiralling out of control, then that must mean he's a sorcerer or a seer of some sort. Any ideas?" Gaius asked, but Merlin shook his head.

"No, all I know is that he's bad news and that he doesn't treat servants well. So what do we do?" he asked, and Gaius frowned.

If Madvedor knew this, he was definitely worthy of investigation, but because of how Merlin felt about Morgana they would need definite proof in order to move against him. Perhaps it was time he paid him a little complimentary visit as the kindly court physician.

"Hmm. We need to convince Arthur..."

"And as he's a royal jerk he won't listen to me." Merlin muttered bitterly.

"And so we need proof." Gaius concluded, ignoring Merlin's dark rant.

"Alright. We need proof, before he strips Morgana of her powers. But how will he do it? It isn't as if he can stick a poppet under her bed and do it that way, that would strip her of her powers, but it wouldn't give them to him. So how could he do it?" Merlin asked, looking around at Gaius' books, pondering which one the answer might be in.

"I will go and pay a visit to Madvedor." Gaius announced, getting to his feet.

"Gaius, no!" Merlin protested looking worried.

Gaius smiled affectionately at the boy, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Merlin, I'll be fine, I make sure someone sees me going in and out of his chambers. And besides, if as we suspect he is a sorcerer or a seer, he can hardly kill me without setting any alarm bells off."

"But-" Merlin began, but Gaius cut him off.

"I'll be fine Merlin. However, run down to the inn with this remedy for me would you? I missed it on my rounds." He asked, giving Merlin a bottle.

"Gaius." Merlin said, his eyebrow raised, and he smiled a little.

"Alright, I do want you to calm down. I'll go and check on Madvedor, see if I can't discover anything. I need you calm, and sitting here muttering about Arthur won't help us. So cool off and then we'll see what's going on when I get back." He promised, and Merlin smiled a little.

"Alright, I suppose you're right. But don't go and get possessed by a goblin, or fall in love with an old flame or get kidnapped on the way alright?" he asked, and Gaius looked at him, feeling most affronted.

"What cheek, how dare you. I never did any of those things." He said defensively, and he was sure he heard Merlin give a sarcastic 'right' and a snigger as he left the room.

Madvedor was looking out of the window, pondering on the state of magic, his plan, and the great tide of change that was rising in the dark. Soon now it would hit, and he didn't intend to be anywhere near powerless when it did. And that's what he needed Morgana for. Why marry her when he could control her powers anyway? He smiled, casting a glance at where he had hidden the orb. Magic was getting more out of control by the hour, and it would only get worse. It was coming. He just didn't know what it was. Either way, he wouldn't allow it to get the better of him. He'd been through far too much for that.

"My lord." One of his companions said, and he turned to him.

"What is it?" he asked in a bored voice, eager for when he could be rid of the two dimwits once he drained them of their magic and killed them.

"The boy has left the castle. Shall we deal with him?" he asked excitedly, and Madvedor smiled.

"Yes, I think we shall. Time to wipe that layer of dirt called Merlin out from under my boots." He said sinisterly, and followed his thug from the room.

Merlin had delivered the potion to the inn keeper's wife, as she had come down with a nasty cold, and was on his way back to the castle. He did understand why Arthur didn't believe him, he truly did. He had no proof, and considering his feelings for Morgana, he was trying to implicate someone who could be seen as a rival for her affections. But still. Arthur was professedly his best friend. Didn't that mean he should at least hear Merlin out before deciding he was making things up? And since when had Merlin ever been wrong? Valiant, Catrina, Agravaine, all of them proved him right in the end, so why wouldn't he listen to him now? Kicking at the dirt miserably, he thought about the fight with Arthur. When he had been hurting over Gwen, Merlin had been there for him and he had never used it against him. Merlin had feelings for Morgana and Arthur used them against him. And it hurt, Arthur thinking he would make something up. He wasn't like that. How many times had he told something only to be proven right eventually anyway? He wouldn't make a story up with no proof. But he did regret what he had said about Arthur being his best friend. That had been a little harsh. He would apologise to him in the morning, provided he had calmed down and Madvedor hadn't stolen Morgana's powers and killed them all.

The gatehouse of the castle was in sight when he heard a sort of whooshing noise. Merlin stopped, looking around the dimly lit street. There was nothing there, aside from the flickering of the shadows in the late night. But he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him, dogging his footsteps. Merlin considered using magic to light the area up, but immediately discounted it. There was no telling if there was actually something out there, and knowing his luck it would be a guard and there was no way they could mistake him for Morgana. Merlin looked around, saw nothing and headed towards the castle gate. Feeling a sense of trepidation rising within him, his heart pounding quickly, and he began hurrying towards the gatehouse, where he felt he would be safe.

He was just about to leave the street and enter the outer reaches of the citadel when a fist slammed into his stomach. Merlin wheezed, staggering backwards and looking around wildly for whoever had attacked him, seeing nothing. He staggered slowly backwards, while he looked, a fist slammed into his back, making him drop to the ground, groaning weakly, spitting mud and blood from his mouth. Merlin rolled, trying to get away from the assault, trying desperately to call on his magic to see his assailants, but the magic wouldn't come as a burning sensation seemed to be blocking his powers. The invisible attackers punched and kicked him while he lay on the ground, and he could feel blood rising in his stomach, and he began coughing some out onto the dirty ground where he lay. Another foot slammed into his chest, making him cry out in pain, just as another punch slammed into his gut, making him curl into a ball to try and stop them from hurting him. Merlin wailed, trying desperately to use his magic to save his life, but the beating was coming too quickly, assaulted by assassins he couldn't see, their feet slamming into his body. Cracking noises emitted from his chest and he continued to flail feebly, trying to ward off his unseen attackers without magic but to no avail, and he began to cough as well as cry as the attack persisted. He could hear rushing noises as the pummelling continued, the darkness surrounding him as his invisible enemies continued their violent assault. His magic wasn't coming, blocked by the fiery darkness that was settling in on him, and just as he was struggling to stay conscious, as the rushing sounds stopped. Merlin looked up, to try and see who had attacked him but there was still no sign of his assailant, all there was, was the sound of heavy, exhilarated breathing, his own pained gasps, the drip of blood and tears onto the ground, and a slow, steady pace. And Merlin knew who the gait belonged to without even looking up, not that he could see anything anyway.

"You're more resilient than I thought you would be. Few can resist my powers. My kind are renowned for being able to incinerate someone's mind, but it seemed not to bother you. No matter. I can only imagine how devastated Morgana and Arthur will be when they learn that their precious Merlin was beat to death on the way home from the tavern. So sad. Goodbye Merlin." Madvedor sneered, and a dagger, sharp, wicked and lethal plunged into Merlin's gut, while he looked down at the bleeding and beaten Merlin with contempt.

With a laugh Madvedor was gone, leaving a broken Merlin whimpering on the ground, blood gushing from the wound in his gut, shaking and shivering in the cold night air, his entire body aflame from the attack. Why hadn't he been able to summon his magic? Madvedor, it must have been. Which meant that Morgana was in severe danger. Merlin desperately tried to use magic, but the darkness was closing in on him, the cold making him shiver, his face stained with tears as he lay there in the gloom of the street. He had to warn Arthur. A curious thought went across his mind

'Hey, maybe he'll believe me now', he thought with something akin to amusement.

Trying to move, he only succeeded in pulling himself closer to the wall but it was too painful to move much closer. Merlin fought back a groan, and his weak, shaking and broken form huddled in on itself as he fought against the cold, and his eyes closed, letting darkness claim him.

Gaius knocked, and when he received no reply, he edged open the door, entering Madvedor's chambers. No sign of the arrogant berk at any rate. Gaius frowned. For Madvedor to know that something was wrong with magic, he had to be fairly powerful. After all, Merlin and Morgana, who were arguably the two strongest sorcerers in the land, hadn't yet discovered that magic was out of sync, so how did Madvedor know? And there was the case of the orb Merlin had seen him with. What was it? Gaius had several suspicions, but he would actually need to see the item before he would be sure. But firstly, they had to figure out what Madvedor's deal was. If he could indeed drain Morgana's powers, even Merlin would be hard pressed to stop him. But how did he intend to do it?

Gaius continued to look around, afraid Madvedor could come back at any second. However, a cupboard door was ajar, so taking another look around to check he was safe, Gaius peered into it. Two items immediately drew his gaze.

The first was a large black orb, with various swirls of light, a multitude of colours, all swirling around inside it like a tempest.

"Impossible..." Gaius breathed, beholding the strange beauty of the orb.

Having a suspicion of what they were dealing with, Gaius looked at the ring that was in front of the orb. Quickly pulling out a piece of paper from his robe, he etched over the design with his quill, getting a faint impression of it. Hearing a noise, Gaius replaced the ring, shut the door to, and hurried out of the chamber, his mind abuzz with what he had seen.

"Something makes me think Arthur and Gwen won't want to be related to Madvedor." Elyan commented dryly as he and Percival headed back up to the castle after their patrol.

"I can hardly blame them, arrogant git. Did you see the way he treated Merlin the first day he was here? Is he trying to get himself killed?" Percival asked.

Elyan smiled.

"I can't see Morgana being too happy about it either. I mean, I'm not her biggest fan, but even she doesn't deserve to be married to that guy." He said, and Percival looked at him curiously.

"That's what I don't get. Why is Arthur so keen to marry her off? I mean, fair enough before Christmas he didn't see much of her, she was just sulking in her room, but since then she's been going round the castle, helping the poor, hanging out with him, Gwen and Merlin, and she's even helped Gaius a few times. Why does Arthur suddenly want rid of her? If anything's going to make her turn dark and evil again, surely it's trying to get rid of her?" he mused, and Elyan pursed his lips.

"I actually don't think Arthur is behind it, especially considering her and Gwen are friends again. I think the council is the problem." He said quietly, and Percival looked at him worriedly.

"But surely as Arthur is the king, he can do what he wants?"

"Within reason. The vast majority of them were opposed to him marrying Gwen in the first place, simply because she's a servant. He forced that through, but that's because they were thankful to him for rescuing them from Morgana and Helios, and they felt ashamed because of Agravaine. But marrying Gwen and allowing Morgana back into the city used up all his goodwill points, so the council can block things he wants done, either that or force him to concede to their demands." He explained, and Percival grinned a little.

"Wow, you are getting good with this politics stuff. Gwen must be rubbing off on you. But why should Arthur listen to them?"

Elyan frowned bitterly, hunching his shoulders against the cold feeling he was getting.

"Well part of the problem is Uther. When he was alive, the council was little more than a talking shop who could suggest ideas but generally had to do what the old tyrant wanted. But after Morgana betrayed him and he lost his marbles, Arthur wasn't quite ready to be king, even with Agravaine muttering in his ear and with Merlin's help. The council increased their power while Arthur was regent to fill the void, becoming a hell of a lot stronger than Uther would have allowed them to be. That's one of the reasons Arthur appointed Gaius to it, so he could have allies on the council other than old Geoffrey who would support him rather than their own ends. And as Arthur's had more problems than most new kings, they're still too powerful for him to confront at the moment, he needs to build up his support base again before he can get round the council. But that means he has to compromise, and they must have remained unmoving on that point. They want Morgana far away from Camelot where she can't harm us anymore. What they don't realise is that if they marry her off, there's nothing to stop her using whoever she marries' army to attack us, and also that the king and queen would prefer she stays here, where they can at least keep an eye on her and make sure she stays good." Elyan explained and smiled a little as Percival stopped, looking amazed.

"Wow. Arthur should get you in on council meetings. You probably know more than he does." He said with a grin, and Elyan winked.

"Nah, I just understand what Gwen tells me, she has to break it down and figure it all out the poor thing. She said he was going to get Morgana to help out in a few sessions, try and scare the council into behaving themselves. And besides, she probably knows more than Arthur does anyway." He said with a grin, and Percival laughed.

"You ever going to forgive her?" Percival asked quietly, and Elyan shrugged.

"I don't know. She did so much harm to Camelot, to Arthur and Gwen, not to mention torturing me and nearly letting Gaius starve. But he seems to have forgiven her, or at least moved on from it, so has Arthur, Gwen, Merlin and Gwaine,"

"Only because she bribed him with ale." Percival interrupted with a grin.

"But I don't know. I mean she did apologise and everything, and I could tell she meant it, but there's so much she did...for myself, probably yes, but for what she's done to everyone else, probably not." Elyan considered, and Percival shrugged in response to his questioning look.

"I don't have the history with her you lot do. I know Leon will never like or trust her again, but Gwaine doesn't seem to mind her, and Tristan doesn't really seem to care either way. Arthur and Gwen are getting on with her, and poor Merlin has it bad for her, so I reckon if they think she's alright she must be in some way. And she does seem nice enough to me when she's going round the castle, and don't forget, she did technically kill Uther." He added in an undertone.

"Best thing she ever did." Elyan muttered darkly, suddenly stopping as they reached the gatehouse, his eyes widening.

"What is it?" Percival asked, following his gaze, and then his breath hitched in his throat.

A small, thin, beaten body was lying curled in a ball beside the gatehouse. And the two of them knew without approaching just who it was, clad in a bloodied red tunic, blue scarf and brown jacket.

"Merlin!" Percival roared in shock as he and Elyan dashed forward.

"We need to get him to Gaius." Elyan said darkly, looking at the blood and the bruises on the poor young boy.

Percival looked at the frail young boy. He was bruised and bloody, curled into himself, an expression of pain on his face, but it was the small, wicked dagger wound that worried him the most. How long had he been like this? Ever since he had met Merlin, the boy had been kind and loyal, serving the knights, helping them, caring for them, and had forgiven them all after the incident with the lamia without hesitation despite how much their actions had hurt him. He was like the youngest brother of their little group, and as with Arthur, Gwaine and Lancelot, the urge to protect Merlin was deeply ingrained in all of them. After all, it wasn't every servant who would follow their master and his knights out into every dangerous mission, cook and clean for them, and never expect a word of thanks in return. And now, someone had brutally attacked him, and if they didn't get him help soon, perhaps even killed him.

When they found out who had done this, they were in for a world of pain.

"Come on." Percival said, gently scooping the unconscious Merlin into his arms and the two ran for the castle.

"Go and tell Arthur what's happened." Percival ordered as they headed up the stairs, and Elyan after giving Merlin a worried look and also giving Percival a pleading look, he nodded grimly and broke off from Percival, hoping the large man would get Merlin to Gaius in time.

And while Percival tended to Merlin, Elyan had the incredibly unenviable task of telling the king and queen one of their best friends had just been brutally attacked, which was a job no one would relish.

"So, because he's in love with Morgana he can't be trusted?" Gwen demanded angrily, and Arthur winced.

"I never said that. Think about how it looks from my point of view!" he wheedled, but Gwen was having none of it.

"A servant who isn't thinking clearly because he has feelings for the one Madvedor's courting, how funny! When has Merlin ever been wrong? He warned you about Valiant, the troll, he knew about Morgana before the rest of us, and he told you about Agravaine! And each and every time he was right! But you ignored him, a servant accusing a noble, because of no proof, without even considering he might not be making it up, because when has he ever done that? You're as bad as your father." She snapped, and Arthur looked up at her, hurt. After all, for her, Morgana, Gwaine and Merlin, that was the worst condemnation of him they had.

Arthur looked miserably up at her, feeling thoroughly and justifiably miserable with himself.

"I know, you're right. I shouldn't have dismissed him like that. And knowing my luck, he probably will be right about Madvedor. But I am king Gwen, the council are virtually rebelling as it is, how would it be if I accused a visiting noble on the word of a servant?"

Gwen glowered at him.

"Maybe he didn't come to you as a servant. Maybe he came to you as a best friend, who's meant to help, who he can rely on to listen to him and support him, just like he does for you." She grumbled scathingly, and Arthur felt even worse than he already did.

Ever since they had married months ago, they had been perfect foils for each other. However, she was also very vocal about Merlin, as he was her friend too, and when she felt he was mistreating him, she let him know it. As such, when he had told her of his fight with her, she had taken Merlin's side, not that he blamed her. If the roles were reversed he probably would have too. He should have listened to Merlin. His cheerful, insolent, brave, loyal, self-sacrificing servant, his best friend, his wise counsellor, in some ways his moral compass, and he had come to him, genuinely scared and fearful, trusting his friend to do the right thing, to listen to him as he had promised to do after the last disaster, and Arthur had sent him away, scorning him and calling him a liar.

"I know I did wrong. I'll apologise to him in the morning." Arthur said, and then saw his wife's icy look.

"Look, I don't think he'll want to see me at the moment, I basically just accused him of making stuff up just so he could be with Morgana. I used his feelings against him. Going to see him now wouldn't be a good idea." He reasoned, and she did have to admit, he had a point. Merlin never bore a grudge, and usually just needed time to simmer down. But if Arthur thought he was getting his way tonight he was barking up the wrong tree.

Just as she was about to tell him as such, the door burst open and Elyan skidded into the room, his eyes wide, looking out of breath.

"Elyan have you forgotten how to knock?" Gwen demanded irritably, but Elyan ignored her, looking straight at Arthur.

"You need to come to Gaius' chambers. Both of you." He said weakly.

Arthur looked at the expression on his brother-in-laws face, and a cold feeling of dread settled around his heart, squeezing it tight, an icy wave of horror was rising in him. There was no other reason they would both be needed in Gaius' chambers. Dread filling him, he nodded to Elyan, who breathed,

"Merlin's been attacked. He's been stabbed." He said grimly.

Gwen sent a horrified look at Arthur, but he was already on the move, heading towards the door.

"Elyan, go and fetch Morgana as well." He ordered, then virtually flew down the corridor, Gwen right behind him, headed for Merlin's side.

Gaius was on the case in an instant, hurriedly tending to Merlin's wounds. Percival kept back, wondering just how long Merlin had been lying like that before he and Elyan had found him.

Gaius immediately began tending to Merlin's wounds, his main priority stopping the bleeding from the knife wound. Gaius' face was a mask of controlled terror as he tended to his young ward. Using various potions, pastes and poultices, Gaius tended to the boy's bruised torso, while also dealing with the stab wound. Percival watched on in fear. Why would someone want to hurt Merlin? He was meant to be safe in Camelot for goodness sake.

Gaius continued to tend to Merlin, cradling the young man with Percival's help and wrapping a large bandage around Merlin's stomach. Gaius continued to fuss, but with less urgency, just as the door banged open to reveal Arthur and Gwen, both looking scared.

"Merlin-" Arthur breathed, looking at Gaius urgently.

Gaius was about to respond, when Gwen froze and pointed at the bandage, which was already soaking up masses of blood, as Merlin suddenly began to jerk uncontrollably, his fingers shaking and his breath coming in ragged gasps. Gaius swore, a rare occurrence for the physician, and began to administer aid once more, this time aided by Gwen, who had helped him with wounded many times before, while Arthur and Percival fetched various things that Gaius needed to try and stop the bleeding.

Elyan dashed up to Morgana's chambers, and knowing how much more volatile her temper could be than Arthur and Gwen's, he at least knocked urgently on her door lest she think she was under attack and blast him with a spell.

"Hang on, my foot's stuck in my dress!" she called, and with a grunt, he heard her come to the door, opening it with an expression of surprise as she saw the worried look on Elyan's face.

"Elyan, what is it?" she asked in concern, seeing how out of sorts he looked, and knowing he wasn't exactly on his list of favourite people to visit.

"It's Merlin. He's been attacked. Arthur thought-" he began, but she had already left her room, heading down the stairs, her expression frantic.

"-you ought to know." He finished, then followed her.

Arthur watched on in fear as Gaius tried to stop Merlin haemorrhaging, as he was losing far too much blood, which was soaking the bed. Fear, tenfold of what it had been when Elyan had told them Merlin had been stabbed, was now coursing through him, as he watched his best friend bleed out far more blood than he should be doing. This was all his fault. If he hadn't argued with Merlin, sent him away so early, this never would have happened. All the times he had come close to losing Merlin before, the poisoning, the dorocha, the bandits...none of them had been like this. This time, he hadn't been attacked by some magical creature, or have some miracle cure, or only been hit by something that wouldn't be life threatening unless he was very unlucky, this time the danger of him dying was all too real. This time Merlin had been stabbed, was losing far too much blood, and it was all his fault.

It was funny. Never, in all the times Merlin had been close to death before had he considered that he might actually die. It just hadn't occurred to him, he hadn't allowed himself to think about it, there was always something they could do. But now, here he was, blood soaking the sheets beneath his increasingly pale body, all because he had sent him away.

The door banged open, revealing a stricken Morgana, followed by Elyan, who had picked up a worried looking Gwaine.

"Will the rest of you step back and allow Morgana through please, I need her help." Gaius said, and she dashed to his side, her eyes frantically scanning Merlin.

"You know the spell to thicken the blood?" he asked urgently, as he and Gwen held a towel to Merlin's gushing wound, her face determined.

"Yes, it was in the book Merlin gave me for Christmas."

"Well use it, while Gwen and I attempt to stem the blood flow."

Arthur watched, panic gripping his heart as Morgana began to use the spell, while Gaius and Gwen stanched the blood flow. Gwaine gave him a nervous glance as they worked, and none of them moved for fear of disturbing Gaius and the others, working valiantly to save Merlin's life. After a few minutes of tense, heart pounding silence, Merlin had finally stopped convulsing, and blood was no longer gushing from him, and Gaius finally breathed an audible sigh of relief. Arthur could have whooped for joy. Relief from Gaius must mean that Merlin would be alright. He would be fine. His friend would be fine. He could feel the horrible feeling inside him receding as he looked at Merlin, now out of it and silent, still pale, but his chest rising and falling slowly, sleeping soundly, and he had to suppress a smile.

"I think now he will be alright. However, he was very lucky. If you hadn't found him when you had..." Gaius said, jerking Arthur from his reverie, and Elyan frowned.

"It just doesn't make sense. Who would want to hurt Merlin?" he demanded, as Gwen tucked him in to the bed fussily, blinking frightened tears from her eyes as she made sure he was warm.

"I have an idea." Morgana said, kneeling on the floor beside Merlin, holding his hand and looking slightly dangerous, though her eyes were looking at Merlin with tenderness.

"Who?" Gwaine growled, looking deadly at the thought of someone deliberately hurting his friend.

"The only person in Camelot who would think they have something to gain from Merlin dying. Madvedor." She scowled darkly, as she took Merlin's hand and squeezed it slightly.

Gwaine looked at her in surprise, then drew his sword and headed for the door. Percival however, who was generally a lot cooler in such situations, simply stood in his way and shook his head, and Gwaine stopped, seething, though Percival had to admit, if it was Madvedor he was in for a world of pain, visiting dignitary or not.

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked in a soft voice, sitting at Merlin's head, his face studying his much paler than usual servant worriedly.

Morgana scowled, and Gaius looked down at Merlin. With what he had found in Madvedor's chambers, if Madvedor had suspected Merlin had seen him earlier, it would make sense that he would try to silence Merlin. He got a glass of water for Merlin, setting it down at the table where Gwen was sitting, her face concerned for the boy she had just helped save the life of.

"He treats Merlin horribly, treating him like dirt, and any time he sees me with Merlin he automatically gets possessive of me, reminding him of his place. He seems to really have it in for Merlin, he gets jealous when I talk about him and he didn't seem too enthused to learn I'd kissed him either." She said darkly.

Arthur said nothing, but was gently stroking Merlin's hair, though he was hidden from the other's view.

"But it's still ridiculous, trying to kill Merlin just to try and have his way with you. What, you think he thinks you would thank him for killing one of your friends?" Elyan demanded irritably.

"Elyan, look around. Who do you see?" Percival asked quietly.

"Everyone aside from Leon and Tristan." He snapped, failing to see how that would help find out why Merlin was attacked.

"That's his point I think. The three royal rulers of Camelot, and the knights, all hold Merlin dear to them. Killing him would be a very good way to undermine all of us at once." Gwen said softly, putting another blanket on top of Merlin to keep him warm. He groaned a little then curled further up in the blankets and was silent again.

"And in his own twisted view it might help him get his mitts on Morgana." Gwaine growled darkly, eyeing his pale young friend protectively.

The room was silent, until Elyan spoke up.

"While all that does sound likely, we can't go against him without proof. The council would have a fit." He said dully, looking at Gwen apologetically, who had just glowered at him.

"Unfortunately, Elyan is right about that. We have no proof to implicate Madvedor." Gaius summed up, but sent a significant glance at Morgana, who smiled.

"But we do have enough to investigate." She said with relish, grinning slightly.

"Exactly." Gaius said with a smile.

Arthur looked up at them, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Alright, it could be Madvedor. And his treatment of Merlin, and of servant's in general, when you add it to the fact that he's here to try and win Morgana's hand, he might, for his own mad reasons, see Merlin as a rival for them." He said, but it didn't feel the same without Merlin to answer back.

"So what do we do then? Because whoever did this, can't get away with it." Gwaine snarled, and Arthur whole heartedly agreed.

"Agreed. Firstly, if it was someone in Camelot, they just tried to assassinate the king's best friend, which isn't a good move if you like your head where it is. And secondly, if it was Madvedor, I'll skin him alive." Arthur vowed viciously, looking at his sleeping friend.

"So then, what do we do?" Gwen asked, eager to do something to help find whoever did this. And besides, if it turned out to be Madvedor, getting rid of him a little earlier wouldn't exactly bother her.

"Firstly, we need to see if anyone saw anything. Percival, Elyan, go down to the town and see if anyone saw or heard anything from when Merlin was attacked." Arthur ordered.

The two nodded, and with a last worried glance at Merlin, left the room, their faces set with determination.

"We also need to make sure Madvedor is where he's meant to be. Gwaine, you deal with that." He said.

Gwaine gave him a reluctant look, the meaning behind which he could well understand. His friend was injured, and he could sympathise with the desire to stay with him, rather than go and do something else. Merely months earlier, rather than save himself like Merlin had kept insisting, Arthur had stayed with him all night rather than get to safety. As such he could sympathise with Gwaine's reluctance to leave. Gwaine finally left, and Arthur turned to Morgana.

"Don't worry, if Madvedor is up to something I'll find out. I'll take him on a hunt tomorrow and see what I can get out of him." She said.

She then took one last concerned and slightly longing look at Merlin, kissed his forehead, and then left. That left Gwen, Gaius, Arthur and the sleeping Merlin.

"I will stay awake and keep an eye on Merlin. I think he is out of danger but best to be on the safe side. And tomorrow..." he said, then looked furtively at Arthur.

"Merlin told me about his suspicions of Madvedor, so when I sent him out," he said, his voice breaking in distaste considering how that had ended, "I went to have a look in Madvedor's chambers." He said innocently.

Arthur hung his head. Gaius made no mention of the fact that he hadn't believed Merlin, but his silence was condemnation enough.

"What did you find?" Gwen asked, eyeing Merlin as he stirred a little, but then went back to sleep soundly.

"Something that looks like a magical object, I have suspicions as to what it is but I need to confirm it. And a ring with a crest on it that I vaguely recognise. So tomorrow I'll spend researching that." He said.

Gwen nodded.

"That's settled then. I'll help Gaius after my morning duties." She said, and Arthur nodded.

"Alright good."

"Sire, you know the council will be opposed to causing this much fuss over a servant, even if he is your one." Gaius said in concern, and Arthur smiled grimly.

"I'll deal with the council. It's time I put them in their place." He said dangerously, and Gaius smiled.

"Good. Now, I'll need to get some blankets from Merlin's room to make sure he's warm enough with the amount of blood he's lost, and I'll need some water. Good night sires." Gaius said as the both stood.

Gwen kissed Merlin's cold cheek.

"There are easier ways to get a day off you know." She whispered into his ear, then headed for the door.

Arthur looked down at his friend.

"I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I should have listened to you, and I'm sorry. Don't you dare die, not because of me. Ok cabbage-head? You wake up, or you are so fired." He said jokingly, then fussed over the blankets and laid his hand on Merlin's head, before leaving the room, and his sleeping and weakened friend stirring in the bed.

The news that Merlin had been attacked had spread through the castle like wildfire. Leon and Tristan were predictably furious with the attack on their friend, and readily helped Percival and Elyan investigate what had happened. Various other servants and others who knew Merlin continued to stream into Gaius' chambers, encouraging the young warlock to keep strong, watched by Gaius as they came and went. However despite that, Merlin had still not woken up, and Gaius was beginning to get worried. While he was reasonably confident his young charge was out of danger, the fact that he had not woken yet, even briefly, was beginning to worry him slightly. Despite all the well-wishers, Merlin was still no closer to waking up. However, seeing so many people who were all concerned about Merlin had heartened Gaius, and he made sure to tell the boy once he woke up. After all he could do with a confidence boost.

Merlin however was no closer to waking up than he had been when he had been attacked. In the dark recesses of his mind, he was drifting. He knew he wasn't dead, but something had gone wrong. Madvedor's attack, his blocking of his magic, had in some ways separated him from his body. However, he was struggling to return to it, but was having no luck. It was as if he were a ship, close to the shore, but not close enough to tie him to port. What had Madvedor done to him? He knew he had stabbed him, and that his thugs had beat him up, but it was whatever Madvedor had done, knowingly or not, that had blocked him from his powers that had set him adrift from his own body. Merlin had called for help, but had gotten nowhere fast, and was now going through every spell he could think of to try and fix himself. If he didn't find a way back to his body, the others would think he was brain dead when his body actually woke up. He could feel his body stirring, but not actually moving or reacting. He needed to do something.

"Alright, Madvedor is a sorcerer, and I've no way of warning anyone. What the hell was he? Why couldn't I use my powers? Morgana and Arthur are in trouble and I'm stuck inside my own body!" he raged, and tried once more to use a spell, but nothing happened once again.

He was trapped in the darkness of his own mind, and he knew that if he didn't get out of here soon, not only would Madvedor be able to hurt the people he cared about, but he would also himself go mad.

And then, a comforting light, a presence, appeared in his mind, not the needle like pain of the formorroh but a pleasant one, one that felt vaguely familiar.

"Emrys..." a deep gravelly voice said.

Merlin cast his mind back, suddenly remembering who he was talking to.

"Alator?" he asked in astonishment.

Alator was a member of the priesthood known as the Catha. Second only to the High Priestesses in terms of power, they had acted as the warrior monks of the Old Religion, acting as Inquisitors who dealt with both internal and external matters, while also dealing with those who threatened the Priestesses. They were the highest rank males could attain in the old order, and many had gone on to become Blood Guards, the elite bodyguards of the Priestesses. The last time Merlin had encountered the man, he had been torturing Gaius on the orders of Morgana, however he had turned on her in order to protect Merlin, going on to pledge his life to him.

"Yes Emrys, it is I. I sensed your peril, and I offer my aid. You and your friends are in grave danger." He said, and Merlin smiled wryly.

"I would never have guessed seeing as how I was recently stabbed by Morgana's suitor. And he has some way to drain her of her magic and mess up my own."

Alator's voice sounded worried.

"He probably isn't even aware of who you are, hence his attack on you. If he had known he would have kept well clear. He fears what is to come, and fears it centres on the High Priestess. He does not know that she is not the only one the future is depending upon. Though you must not allow him to drain the powers of the High Priestess, else he will be too strong even for you to defeat, and whatever future now awaits will not come to pass, and all will be lost to shadow and defeat. To that end Emrys, I seek to aid you, as I vowed." He explained.

"Aid me? I don't even know what he did to me." Merlin said, put out.

"Much the same as I did to Gaius, only with greater power and more lasting effect. However, to aid you will use up a lot of strength. However, I can and will aid you Emrys, but you must make sure that he is stopped."

"Of course I will, I would have ended up fighting him anyway. What is he?" he asked, but received no answer, as Alator had begun to chant, glowing swirling orbs of energy appearing in the darkness of his mind, strengthening him.

Merlin reached into himself, sending Alator some of his own inaccessible power so that he could use it back again, to help him. First order of business was to fix himself. Once that was done, he could worry about stopping Madvedor.

"So Merlin told Arthur he thought Madvedor was up to something?" Morgana asked, as the busy morning rush through the castle commenced, servants running up and down the corridors, while the other knights who weren't part of the round table headed onto patrol duty or to training.

"Yeah, but Arthur didn't believe him." Gwen said tiredly, looking at the passing servants and heartily wishing one was Merlin.

"Why didn't he?" Morgana asked curiously. After all, Merlin had given Arthur more than enough reason to listen to him over anyone else, particularly family.

"Because of how he feels about you." Gwen answered absently, not really recognising what she was saying until it suddenly clicked and she span to face Morgana, her face horrified.

Morgana's face was a mix of different emotions. Expectation, annoyance, there was fury burning in her eyes (though Gwen was reasonably confident that would be directed at Arthur rather than her) and also a hint of delight.

"Excuse me?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip and looking at her friend expectantly, tapping her foot.

Gwen groaned inwardly. It wasn't that she was against Merlin and Morgana being together, far from it. She actually thought they would make quite a good couple, if they could get round the council, and Arthur, who did seem relatively against it. However, she hadn't wanted Morgana to feel conflicted about her own feelings for Merlin, which Gwen knew definitely existed, she also didn't want to be the reason for a source of conflict for Arthur, Morgana and Merlin, and what was more, considering what Arthur had done the night before, she could well anticipate Morgana's reaction and it wouldn't be pretty.

"There's no chance of you forgetting what I just said is there?" she asked hopefully, but couldn't stand the steely glare Morgana was giving her, so gave in, sighing as she did so.

"Alright fine. Well, you see, Arthur knows how Merlin feels about you. So, he acted like a normal king would have, and sort of accused Merlin of making things up just to try and get rid of Madvedor, because he was afraid Madvedor would take you away..." she finished, tailing off towards the end, looking anywhere but her friend.

However, when she looked up from her shoes, she saw that Morgana had gone. Looking curiously around her, she saw Morgana blazing towards the council chamber, and Gwen could practically feel her fury.

"Oh dear not good!" she exclaimed and hurried after her.

The council really were an irritating lot. He knew part of it was his own doing, after all, when he had been regent he had relied on them and Agravaine too much for advice. As a result, the council, led by the ambitious Lord Carrigan, had become much more powerful than they ever had been under his father's reign, blocking him in some things he wanted done, proposing their own laws and taxes that he was generally hard pressed to prevent, causing difficulties in other areas, looking down on Gwen, excluding Morgana and treating the knights with contempt due to them all bar Leon being commoners. It had gotten so bad that Arthur felt that the only two allies he had on the council were Gaius and Geoffrey, and as Gaius was watching Merlin, he only had Geoffrey for support in this session.

"The people make more under you than they ever did under your royal father. As such, they can afford to contribute more back to Camelot." Carrigan said vehemently, a smug grin on his face as he did so.

Arthur suppressed the urge to roll his eyes with effort. Carrigan had always been a staunch supporter of Uther, approving of his ruthless, imperial style. However, as Arthur was a much more lenient king than Uther had been, Carrigan was eager to undermine him at every opportunity, pushing the boundaries of his own power and trying to encroach on Arthur's own power. He was also always eager to increase his own wealth, more often than not at the expense of the people in Camelot. However, due to his wealth being the greatest out of all of the lords he was also the unofficial leader of the council, and the one who posed the biggest threat to anything Arthur wanted done in the city. His superiority complex made him unpopular with most of Arthur's friends, and he had an unfortunate habit of dismissing the queen and going behind the king's back. It was also him who had initially proposed the idea to marry Morgana off, and had received nearly the unanimous backing of the other nobles, it was clear that the entire thing had been his idea all along, and he was the most ardent supporter of getting rid of Morgana. Arthur knew why he was so opposed to Morgana. During her first reign of Camelot, Morgause had stripped him of his holdings and had taken them into the treasury of Camelot. While he had gotten them back, the loss of his power and his station had made him incredibly bitter and possessive of his wealth and status. Ever since then he had had a deep animosity towards Morgana, and remained one of the greatest enemies of magic being used in Camelot.

"We've been through this. After everything to do with Morgana, we need the people to trust us again, and adding another tax will only make them trust us even less. And despite everything, Camelot is still one of the richest kingdoms. We don't have any need to tax the people further." Arthur said flatly.

Carrigan gave a smirk.

"The council is also determined to marry your sister to Lord Madvedor. An alliance between our kingdom's would be most beneficial." He said, and Arthur's temper flared.

"No." He ground out, trying desperately to keep control.

"And why not?" Carrigan asked politely, his face the very picture of arrogance.

"Because Morgana doesn't like him, because I don't want him in court, and he's also under suspicion for the attack on Merlin." Arthur snarled, and Carrigan raised an eyebrow.

"Your sister remains in Camelot at out pleasure sire," he said with a hint of warning, "and the fate of the serving boy is of no importance to us."

Arthur sought to retain control, and was still winning...but his temper, already roiled because of what had happened to Merlin was not going to let this overambitious snob tell him that his best friend was of no importance.

"Morgana will never marry Madvedor. Though you're welcome to try and force the last of the High Priestesses to do what you want, see how well she takes it." Arthur said with a cold smile.

"She will do as we tell her, or else she will be banished." Carrigan sneered, and Arthur smiled, the smile of a predator. He finally had him.

"No she won't. I'm the one who pardoned her, and if she is to be cast out, the decision must be made by me and me alone." He snarled viciously.

Carrigan smiled, showing his teeth as he leaned across the table to give Arthur a maddening look of superiority.

"Unfortunately sire, the council does not share your view. We have agreed to put through this tax. After all, we grant them a place to live, we protect them, the least they could do is show their appreciation. I have already taken the liberty of beginning to put the plan into effect. And your sister, after all the trouble she has called, remains here on our well wishes. You would do well to remember that sire." He said in an oily voice, giving Arthur a self satisfied smirk.

Arthur abruptly decided he had had enough and stood up, glaring furiously at the council, with the exception of Geoffrey, who had something like a smile on his face.

"No. You forget your place, my lord. I am the king, you are the council. You are meant to advise and guide, not dictate policy. While I am thankful for the help you all gave me after my father had his breakdown, that time is now over. I am the king, and you will do as I say, not as you see fit. Morgana will remain in Camelot as long as she desires, unmarried if she so chooses. I don't care how strategic Madvedor is, Morgana will never marry him and I won't let her. What's more, Merlin is not of no importance, and as Madvedor is suspected of being the one behind the attack on him I refuse to allow him to marry my sister on that reason alone. We also do not need your proposed tax, so that will be scrapped. The people pay us enough without you extorting everything you can out of them. The problem with this council is that it got too powerful, filling the gulf between me and my father before I became king, and because of Agravaine, I got too used to depending on your input. No longer. I am the king now, you will address me with the proper respect that deserves, and from now on you will only advise, you will not enact, and if you cannot cope with that my lords, then I suggest you leave the council. I am the king, you are my council, and I will not be dictated to by the likes of you Carrigan, you would do well to remember that." Arthur finished with a snarl, and looked around at the faces.

Geoffrey looked fairly pleased, and gave Arthur a proud look. The others however were varying from shock to outrage. Carrigan in particular looked very displeased with this turn of events, and he stood, a furious expression on his face, and he was about to say something when the doors burst open, revealing a furious looking Morgana, her hair wild, her eyes golden, clad in a deep purple, as she stormed into the chamber.

"You have blood on your hands Arthur Pendragon!" she roared, her eyes still glowing, and Arthur could see Gwen hurrying to catch up with her friend.

The lords all looked at her in shock, and Arthur noted the expression of distaste that appeared on Carrigan's face. Making a mental note to keep an eye on the arrogant fool, he looked at Morgana, and the expression on her face showed that she was in no mood for games.

"Out! Get out!" she barked, turning her gaze onto the lords.

They all looked at Arthur, who nodded towards the door, and they shot out of the chamber as fast as their legs could carry them, Geoffrey closing the door behind him.

"Thanks. If Carrigan said anything I was going to take his head off." He said, scowling darkly as he sat down in his throne.

"I ought to take your head off. Why on earth didn't you listen to Merlin?" she demanded angrily, and Arthur shot a dirty look at his wife, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Sorry, it slipped out." She said meekly, and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Morgana, don't you think I feel awful? It's my fault Merlin nearly died, and if I had listened to him he wouldn't be in this mess."

"But why on earth wouldn't you listen to him? After all, he's always been right before!" she stormed, her eyes still glowing amber, making Arthur flinch.

"Because..." Arthur began hesitantly, but Morgana knew where he was going and scowled.

"Whatever feelings Merlin and I have for each other are none of your damn business Arthur Pendragon, and you know it. You're Merlin's best friend, not his keeper, yet I don't see Gaius automatically dismissing him just because of how he feels." She snapped, and Arthur did have to admit, she had a special talent for making king's regret their decisions.

"Morgana, I feel awful! It's my fault Merlin nearly died, regardless of what Gaius thinks that it was his fault, it was all my fault, if I'd just listened..." he protested.

"Yes, you should have listened. Perhaps this will be a reminder to listen in future." She said scathingly, and flicked a finger at him, her eyes flashing back to normal.

"Hey! What did you just do to me?" Arthur demanded angrily, getting to his feet, and she sent him a superior smirk.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. The best part is, you can't even go to Gaius for help, because he'll just tell Merlin and you'll never live it down. Now, I'm off to see if I can find anything out from Madvedor for the day. Byee!" she called cheerily, turning on her heel and billowing out of the room.

"What did she do to me?" Arthur asked worriedly, and Gwen shrugged.

"I don't know. So you put the council in their place?" she asked, going up beside him.

He nodded.

"Yeah. Which means two things." He said grimly, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Firstly, Carrigan will be out to get back at me, he won't appreciate being told what to do like that. And secondly, Merlin will be hell to live with when he wakes up, he's been telling me to knock them on the head for weeks." He said, and Gwen gave him a small smile.

"You miss him, I know you do." She said, giving him the smile he loved, and his face turned into a mask of incredulity.

"I do not miss him." He insisted, but Gwen's expression let him know she believed that as much as he did.

"Sure you don't. Right, the knights are still looking round the lower town. I'm going to go and help Gaius after I do my daily tour. What about you?" she asked, and he frowned.

"I suppose I'll need to go and talk to the council members individually, or otherwise they might become too strong an enemy. And while I'm at it, I better find out what Morgana did to me." He said, kissing her cheek.

It wasn't until later, when he went to relieve himself, that he discovered just what his sister had done, leading to a cry of pain that could be heard throughout the castle.

Carrigan was furious. He wondered when and if Arthur would ever challenge the council, but up till now he had been reluctant to do so, even with that annoying pest Merlin muttering in his ear. Carrigan was one of the select few that thought the king would be a much better one if Merlin wasn't around to keep him right. The irritating servant, with his unique position in relation to Arthur, was determined to make Arthur a strong, wise and good king. However, that did not suit many on the council's aims, Carrigan's in particular. After Uther's breakdown, the council had filled the void between the regent and the king, and many had acquired a taste for power. And what was more, their coffers would inevitably suffer if Arthur became the sort of king the mewling brat wanted his master to be. Arthur was far too close to the boy. And it wasn't just the kingdom at stake, it was their own power and prestige. And after so long working with that insufferable fool Uther he was not about to lose everything he had worked so hard for now, not because the king had finally decided to challenge his ministers just because his friend was hurt.

And how dare that witch dismiss them so readily? Whatever Arthur thought about the council, it was up to them if she stayed in Camelot. The king could delude himself if he wanted, but they were the true power in Camelot, not the new relatively untested king relying on the advice of his servant. It was they who controlled the day to day operations of the city. Despite both the king and queen's attempts to be hands on, which basically meant interfere with the usual running of the kingdom, the council were still the ones in charge. The council were the ones who directed the laws, and if Arthur really thought he could rule without them, he was sorely mistaken. He needed them to ensure everything ticked over, while all he did was host state events and deal with threats to the kingdom. That was why Uther's bloody vendetta against all magic users had been so useful, it had allowed him to be distracted while the council did what they wished.

And that was not going to change now. They had come too far to allow some gung-ho king, his treacherous witch sister, his serving girl wife and his all too infuriating servant to ruin things now. Carrigan had power now. And that power of his was centred directly beside the throne. And nothing would prevent him from making sure that he remained in the position to best enjoy his power. After all, he had far too much power and wealth to lose just because of the king and his pet Merlin.

Smiling smugly as he thought of the rumours that were flying around, he decided if he shouldn't perhaps visit the guest quarters. He did know, and readily admitted defeat on the subject, that Morgana would never be married off to Madvedor, and hence gotten out of Camelot, never to be a threat to his wealth again. The rest of the council (aside from that pompous old so Geoffrey and that near sighted old fool Gaius) had jumped at the idea of marrying Morgana off, sending her off with her husband somewhere that she could never threaten their power or prestige again.

He bitterly remembered that day. Being hauled in front of that hag Morgause, stripped of his title, land, and funds, to fund her brat sister's takeover of Camelot...the injustice of it stung. After all he was nobility. How dare that mere mystic challenge that? He wasn't a fool, he knew he could do nothing to stop Morgause or Morgana, but the injustice of it rankled, these witches (who if that fool Uther had done the thing properly should have died long before) taking over and taking their holdings for themselves.

However, he did have an opportunity to deal with that pest Merlin. And if Madvedor was indeed behind the attack on the brat, then perhaps he could be persuaded to remove the witch as well. Smiling to himself, he headed for the guest chambers.

Morgana stalked away fuming, muttering bitterly under her breath. While Madvedor had promised to aid her in any way possible while she was worried about her friend, her spending the day with him had not improved her mood. Despite promising to aid her, and hinting that if anything changed with Merlin for the worse he may stay more days (which obviously did not endear him to her), he had spent the day pondering who could have wanted to hurt Merlin, and as such she was no closer to finding out if he was indeed behind the attack on Merlin. Her suspicions would get them nowhere.

Madvedor smiled as he watched Morgana storm away, knowing he had infuriated her by not letting anything slip. However, the news that the boy was going to live had not put him in a good mood. If he was indeed to isolate Morgana, he had to make sure Merlin did not wake up before he had made his move...either that or make sure he didn't wake up at all. However something still puzzled him. Why had Merlin not been howling in pain when he had applied his powers? Most would be screaming in pain and begging for mercy, their mind burning within their own skulls, but it hadn't affected Merlin. Most strange.

"Boss." One of his guards said, coming up to him, and Madvedor turned to hear what he had to say.

And it turned out the news that the oaf had brought him was quite interesting, quite interesting indeed.

Arthur winced as he moved towards Gaius' chambers. Pride and the teasing he would get from Merlin when he woke up be damned, this hurt like hell. He could only hope that Gaius would have a treatment for it, because if he kept on like this he was going to go mad. And somehow he didn't think his sister, who's mood with him hadn't improved after hours with Madvedor, would be inclined to lift the problem from him. So, that left him with Gaius, even if it did mean Merlin would be insufferable for days, and as for the knights if they found out...

He was just contemplating the merits of forbidding Gaius from talking about it when he saw Gaius' door was open. Relief flooding him, he entered the chambers.

"Gaius, I really need-" he began, then stopped short as he saw Madvedor, his expression alarmed, drawing his hand away from the table where Gaius kept many of his potions.

"Lord Madvedor, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked, striding into the room as straight and as fast as his condition would allow.

Madvedor put on a smile, and inclined his head to Arthur.

"I fear I am beginning to come down with something, so I was seeking out the physician." He assured him, not liking how Arthur's eyes were running over Merlin protectively.

Arthur looked at Merlin, and after being assured he was still breathing and sleeping peacefully, he forced his face into a pleasant expression.

"Well as you can see, he isn't here. I'll tell him you're looking for him shall I?" he said, indicating the door.

Madvedor bowed, and swept from the room, his expression irritable. Arthur breathed a small sigh of relief. What had Madvedor been doing in here? Looking at the table where he had found him, he noticed that hemlock, one of Gaius' strongest poisons, was out of alignment with the other bottles. Arthur frowned. Madvedor wouldn't dare try to poison Merlin would he? What was the point? Merlin was no threat to him, especially in his current state. And even if he did wake up before Madvedor left, they could hardly arrest Madvedor on Merlin's word, Madvedor's own kingdom wouldn't stand for it, they might see it as enough of an insult to declare war. But, then again, why would Madvedor try to kill Merlin anyway? Trying to hurt him in the first place made no sense, but now actively trying to kill him when Merlin couldn't even try to defend himself? Unless...Madvedor's game was bigger than Morgana. Frowning to himself, Arthur headed over to Merlin's bedside, where the younger man lay sleeping peacefully. Arthur frowned, nudging Merlin's shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry I got you into this Merlin. Only you would try to get yourself killed when you've barely escaped from death's door." He said fondly, ruffling Merlin's hair a little.

Merlin had been right. Madvedor was up to something, and if, as they all but knew, he was behind the attack on Merlin, then he had something up his sleeve, and it probably wasn't just to do with Morgana. It was to do with all of them, if not to do with the city itself, then all of them could be in danger of the worst kind. Frowning he sat beside Merlin, squirming uncomfortably, deciding to await Gaius.

And after he saw him, his first order of business would be to get someone down here to protect Merlin. Madvedor might not be behind the stabbing (though he doubted it) but he was certainly not going to finish off his best friend if he could help it.

With Gwaine standing guard over Merlin and Gaius, Arthur still very uncomfortable , Carrigan raging and Madvedor infuriated, the castle was incredibly tense that night. The knights investigations hadn't yielded anything, and without any form of proof they could not accuse Madvedor. However, while the knights had made no progress, and were restricted by the fact that Arthur had now ordered them to protect both Merlin and Morgana, Gaius, who had spent the day going over his books with Gwen and Geoffrey, had made a little bit more progress.

"I believe what Merlin and I saw was an Orb of Methir." Gaius had said, only to earn a stupefied look from the queen and the chronicler.

Gaius had explained. An Orb of Methir was generally used to sense magic within someone, see if they had the ability to use magic in its varying degrees. However, three had been made that gave, in some ways, more vague, but in some ways a lot more detailed. They sensed magic in general, identifying places of great magic, such as the Isle of the Blessed, or in this one's case, sensing the state of magic itself. And if, as Merlin had overheard, magic was indeed in chaos, that would certainly explain why there were swirls of colour within the orb.

"But that doesn't do us much good." Morgana said, sitting at the table in Arthur's room later that night, the only one of them not present being Percival, who was watching Merlin.

"How come? If he had a magical artefact surely that's grounds for arrest?" Tristan asked, but Morgana shook her head.

"No. That would have been more than enough in Uther's day, if you so much as said 'sorcerer' the evil old butcher would have you killed, but Arthur, for all his failings is a far better king than his father was." Morgana said, and while Arthur looked irritated at her less than complimentary remarks about their father, he did look heartened to hear that from her.

"If you think I'm a good king, couldn't you fix me?" he asked, squirming, to the suppressed grins and looks of sympathy from his knights.

She smiled slightly.

"You're not that good, I'm still mad at you. Besides, I can't figure out how to fix it, you'll just need to wear it out." She muttered apologetically, earning her a furious scowl from her brother.

"So once again we have no evidence other than he has a shiny magic ball?" Elyan asked in a defeated voice.

"Seeing as how we didn't find anything earlier, yeah, you're right." Leon said in distaste.

"Well, why else would anyone but a sorcerer have the orb? Surely that means he's magic of some description." Gwaine reasoned.

"That would stand to reason sire." Gaius agreed, making Arthur frown in thought.

"Yeah but we need to catch him in the act. And besides, for all we know, magic is legal in his kingdom. It'd be a poor lookout if we invite him, then turn on him for being a sorcerer. We need actual proof that he's up to something, and despite me putting them in their place, Carrigan won't allow a noble to be arrested on the word of any servant, even if it is Merlin." He said worriedly.

Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"How can you stand all this? Having to watch who you say what to, not risk offending anyone, it'd drive me mad!" he groaned, and Arthur smiled.

"Tell me about it. But that's why I keep you around Gwaine, so you can offend the people I don't like." He said with a small grin, and the others laughed.

"So what do we do then? If you're right and he was trying to finish Merlin off, he must be afraid that Merlin can tie him to the attack on him." Elyan said.

"Either that or he'll get in the way of whatever he has planned for me." Morgana said in distaste, wrinkling her nose.

Tristan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"She's the way to get him." He stated, as though it were obvious.

To the others however it was far from obvious, as they were all staring at him blankly.

"Well, why do we really need Madvedor? What is his kingdom offering if Morgana marries him?" he asked, and they looked at Arthur.

"Protection, trade benefits, land, wealth, the usual sort of thing, why?" he asked, not seeing where his newest knight was going with this.

"Well why do we need them? One of our greatest threats is back within the walls," he said, bowing his head to Morgana, "we're one of the best armies in the land, and your new treaties with Bayard and Mithian are bearing fruit. So why do we need to marry Morgana off to Madvedor?" he asked, and from the other knights point of view it did make sense.

"It's more to do with me being inside the walls. The council, the ones behind it, want me as far away from Camelot as possible if not further, to make sure I never threaten Camelot, or more specifically their wealth and power, ever again." Morgana sneered derisively.

"Well what land is Madvedor from? I mean, I can see the benefits politically, but why would any right minded king want to make Morgana their wife? No offence my lady." Tristan added hastily.

"Offence taken!" she responded indignantly and Gwen giggled.

"So what, you reckon Merlin might have been right and someone's after her powers?" Arthur asked, feeling even worse than he already did thanks to his sister.

"Well, Morgana is the strongest witch in the land. Anyone gaining access to her powers in any way would be a considerable threat." Gaius said.

"Exactly. Considering she's conquered Camelot twice, she is a bit of an occupational hazard if you marry her." Tristan said.

"Too right she is." Arthur grumbled as he once more tried to get comfy.

"I am still in the room you know." She said waspishly.

"So we need to find out what Madvedor wants with her?" Gwaine asked, and Tristan nodded.

"And a little more information on him wouldn't go amiss either. I think it's time I look up a few friends." He said, then gave a small bow and left the room.

"Eh? Where's he going?" Gwaine asked in confusion as Tristan shut the door, and Leon shrugged.

"So what do you want us to do?" Leon then asked Arthur, who frowned.

"Well, the main problem is we only have circumstantial stuff to get Madvedor with. And while, as Morgana might have been right to say," he said reluctantly, ignoring the smug grin she gave him, "that might have been enough with my father, I'm not him and I don't want to risk further alienating other kingdoms by arresting him without any proper proof...even if he was the one who attacked Merlin." He said in distaste.

"So we do nothing?" Gwaine asked crestfallen.

"Exactly. But, if we're right about Madvedor, we better be on our guard, or else there's no telling how much damage he can cause." Gwen said worriedly, as they all left their chambers.

Alator used one last burst of strength, and finally the dark walls around Merlin's mind came down, and he could feel himself connecting with his body again. Relief flushed through him as he could feel how warm and snug he was, and his relief quickly turned to pain as he felt the sharp pain where Madvedor had stabbed him.

"Ah, son of a-" he exclaimed in pain, but then he noticed that Alator's presence was diminishing.

"Alator!" he called worriedly.

"Do not fear Emrys, I'm alright, just exhausted. Beware Madvedor. He is not an enemy to trifle with lightly, the fact that he immobilised you is proof of that. He is like me, do not underestimate him! Be wary of yourself, and protect the lady Morgana. If she is lost, all magic will be irreparably damaged. You must save yourself!" he said, and then his voice was gone.

Merlin frowned. Both Alator and Madvedor seemed very concerned about the state of magic. Could Morgana have caused so much damage just by turning good? Whatever was going on, magic was out of control and it was beginning to pose a serious threat, making magic users desperate, fearful and more desperate. It also couldn't bode well for Camelot if magic was out of control, because it would mean that the city would be a prime target for whatever forces were out there. Which was worrying to the extreme. Whatever was happening, powerful beings like Alator, and wise ones like Gaius were both terrified, and that could only mean something bad was going to happen soon. But for now he had other things to do. Firstly, he had to convince himself to wake up, and once he had done that, he would need to try to get rid of Madvedor. Grunting, to himself, he slipped fully back into his own body and hoped for the best.

Poor Merlin! But he's on his way back now.

Alator made a slight visit this chapter too, he has a larger role to play in the final story of the lot, but only cameos for now. And Carrigan also becomes something of a nuisance in his quest for wealth and power.

Just what is happening with magic? Will our heroes be able to stop Madvedor? And what will happen next? Read on to find out!

Please read and review

P.S I reused the scene from series 1 when Morgana storms in saying Uther has blood on his hands, I thought she was marvellous doing that